The Best
by robert3A-SN
Summary: AU after "Intro to Felt Surrogacy": Jeff learns that Annie really let Professor Cornwallis rub her feet to save Jeff's grade so he'll graduate early after all. But Annie brings herself to expose Cornwallis anyway, then helps Jeff try to pass a revised History 101 for real, while working out who and what she's really meant to be. Based on a prompt by Hypnotoad76. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Based on another prompt by Hypnotoad 76**.

**Spoilers for "Intro to Felt Surrogacy" – or rather, just one debatable part in the final song involving Annie. Pretty much everything about this will be made AU by this week's Christmas episode, and the next three eps after that – so I'm going to preemptively pretend those episodes never happened in this story. For all we know, we'll want to do that anyway for other reasons – so hopefully this helps if that's the case.**

"_I was struggling in History/I'm normally the best/I let Cornwallis rub my feet/To give me all the answers to a test."_

It didn't really hit Jeff until an hour after Annie sung that lyric.

Hell, it didn't hit anyone – even the Dean – when they first heard Annie's musical confession. That was the only reason Jeff didn't throttle them first when it finally got through to him.

But when he fully realized what Annie said, Jeff wanted to throttle _someone_.

The others were out, the Dean's ignorance was all too predictable now, and Jeff couldn't throttle his own gorgeous face – which would even be gorgeous in puppet form if the Dean didn't make it, for the record. That left one very obvious choice.

By the time Jeff got towards the history classroom, he managed to calm down a little. At least enough to not break down the door and break Professor Cornwallis's teeth that very second. For this particular crime, he wanted to torture him first.

Against all his instincts, Jeff stayed outside until class was over and Cornwallis's afternoon students left. Since they were all alone now, Jeff had a better chance of covering his actions up, at the least. He then entered the room, closed the door and found his future victim preparing to leave/escape.

"Mr. Winger!" The professor exclaimed when he noticed Jeff. "You're 17 hours early for tomorrow's class. This is refreshingly out of character."

Jeff just nodded, as he needed a second to make himself speak calmly. Staring at Cornwallis's hands wouldn't help, so he avoided any eye contact. When he was as ready as he would get, he started, "Yes, well it's funny you should use the word character."

"All right, I've got some spare time. How is it funny?" Cornwallis asked, like a creepy British pervert to the slaughter.

"Greendale is filled with characters," Jeff set up. "Crazy characters, annoying characters, usually all of the above. On rare occasions, there's even someone with actual character. They have it all the way down to their feet."

Jeff made that obvious illusion sooner than he wanted. But it wasn't like he could have kept the charade going much longer. Yet Cornwallis merely said, "You don't say" so it looked like Jeff would have to keep going.

"Yes, I did. They have so much character, they feel really embarrassed when it's taken advantage of," Jeff went on. "They might even think it's their own fault, for some reason that makes no sense. They can believe it so much, it would take laced berries and Dean puppets to get the truth out of them. But it came out, nonetheless. Over 90 minutes ago, in fact."

Jeff thought he had him then and there, as he finally saw Cornwallis blink and look nervous. However, his face went back to normal quite suspiciously. "Wait a moment….over 90 minutes ago, you said?" he asked.

"Around that, yeah," Jeff answered confidently before he realized his error.

"So the Dean used puppet therapy to make you and your group talk again," Cornwallis reasoned. "He heard some….things as a result, apparently. But he hasn't come here or called me to his office, or sent anyone here. That means he wasn't paying attention. Or he just doesn't care. Either way, if nothing's happened by now, it likely won't happen at all."

Jeff was left speechless and angry at himself, the group and the Dean. Mostly the Dean before long. "Yeah….it's more out of ignorance and worshipping me, I think."

"You should see him gush about you at facility meetings," Cornwallis actually joked.

"I'd rather not, thanks. I see quite enough at the study room," Jeff took the easy bait.

"I would imagine!" Cornwallis laughed. "Has he stalked you like that for four whole years? How is he still not locked up yet?"

"Technically, he was locked up last spring, but not for the right reasons," Jeff quipped. "I'm glad he just whittled a regular Jeff doll instead of a sex doll in Chang jail. He probably still has that back home, right next to my apartment."

"You're kidding!" Cornwallis chuckled.

"God, I'm sure I'm not," Jeff sighed.

"My word, the inmates truly run this asylum. With that example, it negates anything anyone ever does around here," Cornwallis concluded.

"Yeah, probably," Jeff admitted – then came to his senses. "Hey! Don't use his insanity as a smokescreen! Granted, it was a clever and pretty funny move for a while, but _only_ a while! I hate him rubbing up on me, but I hate you rubbing up on Annie more!"

Now Jeff was done with torturing him and wanted to get to _torturing_ him. He advanced on Cornwallis as he continued, "I'll bet you altered her scores so she thought she needed those test answers! Then you made your move and made sure her character and integrity wasn't an obstacle anymore! I'll admit, it must have been pretty hard to do that, _and_ make her think she could _possibly_ struggle in a lowly History class! All of that is quite laughable, except for the end result!"

He didn't mean to set Cornwallis up to laugh himself – or let his mouth do anything but bleed – yet he started laughing anyway. "Is _that _what she told you? She said she let me do it for test answers? For _her_?"

"Yes, it was a laughable setup, we established that. But thanks to the punch line, you're not going to laugh again for a _very _long time. Not in this school or country, anyway," Jeff said, sounding quite super heroic, if his inner Abed said so.

"Actually, this is too funny for England. After what you told me, maybe it's safe to share why. You might even share a relieved laugh with me too," Cornwallis offered.

"That sounds like a famous last boast," Jeff scoffed.

"It works on many more levels than that," Cornwallis set up for the kill. "She didn't do it to save her grade, Mr. Winger. She did it to save _yours_."

Jeff certainly wasn't laughing **a**nymore. He was too confused to laugh – but he felt he should savor being confused while he could.

"Let me explain the punch line further," the professor began to deconstruct.

_Days before the balloon trip, Annie was at Cornwallis's desk, waiting to talk to him about an upcoming assignment. But before he got back from the bathroom, Annie's wandering eye saw that Cornwallis hadn't closed up his grade book._

_Before she could even think of taking a peek, or start fighting her own conscience about it, she got a glimpse at the bottom of the list. And the failing grade next to the last name on that list. A name that looked a lot like Jeff Winger – for good reason._

_As Annie took that in, Cornwallis returned and –_

"Stop! I don't need detailed descriptions of _your_ scenes!" Jeff interrupted. "Just give me the Cliff Notes version of the Cliff Notes!"

"Oh, very well," Cornwallis huffed. "The short version is, she saw you were failing, begged me to change my mind, and offered to do anything. I then made a very strong case for my counterproposal. Especially once I proved you'd never be able to cram enough to do the work yourself, even if she tutored you. Then she accepted my terms, and I accepted letting you pass."

With the joke now thoroughly explained, Jeff wasn't laughing anyway. "You're lying…." was all he had to counter with.

"You said it yourself, her struggling with this class is impossible. Despite my best efforts," Cornwallis glossed over. "It is much more likely that you'd barely skate by in a _real_ class, to the point of failure. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Okay, there's no arguing that," Jeff conceded. "But….but I found my dad and battled Changnesia! And I gave up History of Ice Cream! Of course I'd be too distracted to just skate by. But not enough that I'd be failing! And not enough that Annie would need…."

"To make sure you graduated early, like you wanted. I'm well aware it was the only reason she did it. My hands _did _try to give her a better reason, but it was no use," Cornwallis tempted Jeff's rage further. However, he was still too stunned to really feel it – and if he didn't know why by then, the professor clued her in.

"So there's the joke, you see. You're going to pass my class and finally leave Greendale. And the only reason why is that Ms. Edison offered her feet to me. After I gave her the idea, but still," Cornwallis qualified. "I understand this wouldn't be the first time you _pretended_ to pass college for legitimate reasons. I suppose that adds to the humor."

Jeff still wasn't laughing. But now he wasn't laughing for two reasons.

The second reason made him realize that all his dreams, his long overdue rewards and relief at leaving Greendale were ruined. That should have meant so much more than the first reason. The fear of it should have made that first reason irrelevant.

Yet he then gave himself one of the greatest shocks of his life. "I'll laugh when I make the Dean put you on the first Concorde out of here. Even if I _don't_ pass my final with a new teacher."

Jeff finally saw something funny in this. The fact he just threw away his chance to leave Greendale now should have made him try to take it back. But he didn't feel the need to. Not when it came to this. To _her_.

Of course, he didn't trust his will power for that long. As such, he was filled with dread when Cornwallis struck back.

"You think there would be a final?" Cornwallis warned. "From what I heard, you had an entire Biology grade thrown out when a teacher resigned. If they made you take summer school for that, what will they do when this comes out? You'll _all _have to repeat this class next semester, and with a far more uptight teacher than me, most likely! How do you think you can pass _then_?"

Now that was a threat to fragile willpower if there ever was one. The best solution Jeff could argue with is, "We'll just make the Dean make an exception this time."

"Ask him to pass up the chance to keep _you _here another semester?" Cornwallis countered.

"You're right, I knew it was dumb the second I….hey, don't trap me with Dean rants again! I'm supposed to hate you, not find a kindred spirit in Dean hating!" Jeff reminded himself. "You took advantage of Annie! Nothing's worth letting that slide!"

"Not even when it would make you free of Greendale next week?" Cornwallis reminded.

"Damn it, it still sounds good coming from you. Wait, no it _doesn't_!" Jeff tried to stay focused.

"It obviously sounded good to her," Cornwallis reminded. "And now you want to take away the only thing that got her through it?"

"You're overestimating a few things," Jeff scoffed.

"Oh really? You said she claimed she did it to get test answers for herself," Cornwallis recalled. "She would have rather made _herself _look like a slutty cheater than tell you that you were failing. Or that she saved you the way she did."

"Yeah, well she _had _to know it wouldn't hold up," Jeff scrambled. "Annie is nothing _close _to a cheater! You have no idea what she did to prove it two years ago!"

"But she still made herself look like one, just to keep you from ruining everything," Cornwallis pointed out. "Yet here you are. Once you expose me, you won't graduate and she'll have nothing left to justify what she did."

"What _you _did!" Jeff corrected, if only to make him stop talking for a second.

"She consented to it in the end, Mr. Winger. She made the choice to be a co-conspirator to academic fraud, just for you," Cornwallis rubbed in. "But once you report me, neither of you will get what you wanted. She'll live in shame with no silver lining, and you'll suffer in this sinkhole for five more months. You can't tell me you wouldn't hate her for that before long."

"What kind of ass do you think I am?" Jeff growled, before he realized he made things too easy for him.

"The kind who couldn't even do basic work to legitimately get his diploma. That's the kind of man she degraded herself for, in here and out there," Cornwallis said. "And you repaid her by taking 90 minutes to let her lie bother you. Granted, so did all your other misfits and the Dean, so I can't complain."

"When it gets through to them…." Jeff warned.

"If it didn't bother her closest friends then, it won't now unless you do anything. Either way, we both know the Dean is a lost cause, and that's what counts," Cornwallis baited, but Jeff didn't pile on this time.

Undaunted, the professor added, "But it's clear she wanted this to stay a secret, to an incredible degree. Perhaps it's time you respected her wishes. You'll get a diploma from it and you'll make it easy for her to move on, like she wanted. If she thinks that's a proper upside, you owe it to her to think that way too."

"You don't know what she thinks," Jeff grumbled.

"If you had a real idea how she thinks, things might have been quite different, wouldn't they?" Cornwallis argued. Jeff would have argued right back, but he made the mistake of really thinking about it. When that tripped him up and disturbed him, Cornwallis set up his exit.

"I believe we've cleared up everything we had to. I'm going home to prepare for work tomorrow. I even hear you're having a Christmas party soon, so I might prepare for that too," the professor said as he reached the door. "Give my regards to Milady Edison."

Jeff almost wanted to vomit at that moment. Yet once Cornwallis was gone, there was no point in doing it if he wasn't there to take the hit. That would be a gross way to get him back, but at least it was _something_.

For the second time today, Jeff was too confused, awkward, ashamed and mixed up to move or say anything. But there was no way talking and singing to puppets would fix this one. For the first time ever, he wished he could just talk to a puppet to resolve everything.

However, he had to talk to someone else. Someone he'd barely had words with in the last month and a half – and the consequences of that were all too clear now.

For once, it was time to get some balls and willingly have a real talk with Annie. Whether she'd appreciate his effort at the end or not. But with at least two futures on the line, he'd have to show some real effort. That had to count for something.

If it counted enough to help him find a less than terrible solution –whatever it might be – that would be nicer.


	2. Chapter 2

For all they'd been through together, Jeff never invited Annie to his apartment alone. That was just one reason why Annie was nervous as he came to his door.

She just wanted to relax, go to sleep and forget about today; among other days. She hadn't been bothered by anyone after her "secret" came out, and she wanted to sleep before that bothered her more. Whether Jeff was about to shatter it, Annie didn't know, and didn't know if she wanted to.

But once Annie knocked on the door and Jeff answered, there was no getting out of it.

"What do you need, Jeff? Obviously it couldn't wait until tomorrow morning," Annie guessed.

"It's both easy and hard to explain. Hard mainly because I don't know what to do," Jeff cryptically started. "I know what I _should_ do, don't get me wrong."

"If I don't know what you're talking about, I can't say you're wrong. Kind of clever, really," Annie tried to lighten the mood.

"You know I don't usually think before I do stuff. Then when I screw up, you usually remind me what I did wrong, and_ then_ I get it right," Jeff recounted. "But this time I have to do something different. I have to talk to you _before _I screw up."

"What haven't you screwed up yet, Jeff?" Annie asked.

"Okay, I know I should say this more delicately. But I don't have any better setups, so here goes," Jeff got himself ready. "I know why you _really _let him touch your feet. And I know what would happen if _responsible _people found out too."

There it was. Annie wanted to deny it and buy some time, yet the look on Jeff's face showed he wouldn't buy it. And after these last few days, she didn't have the energy to keep lying. She'd used the last of it just to lie during the song.

As she tried to regroup and get her mind straight, Annie suddenly realized, "Wait, you talked to Cornwallis?" When Jeff nodded, she had to ask, "Just _talked_?"

"He bought a stay of execution with the truth. Just a stay," Jeff warned.

"Jeff…." Annie said, half in wonder that he _did _give her secret a second thought, and half in fear of what he'd do with the truth.

"We'll get to that later. There's a bunch we should go over before we get to that," Jeff said. "The first issue should be why you told _that _lie. You're not a natural liar like me, but you're much better than that."

"I wasn't in the right mind to lie well," Annie admitted. "First that….thing happened, then I tried to live with it _and_ hope you didn't find out. Then I came up with the hot air balloon idea to get away from everything. And look how _that _turned out."

Jeff now remembered the balloon _was _Annie's idea, and was proud of himself for not blaming her for it. But his inner bragging stopped when Annie continued, "Then I spend days thinking I told you everything anyway! I didn't know if you kept quiet because you thought I was a slutty fraud, or you wanted to ignore it."

"Annie, how could you expect me to _ignore that_?" Jeff asked. "What do you take me for?"

"You _all _ignored it when you thought I was cheating, so you tell me," Annie challenged.

"You weren't cheating! You were…." Jeff trailed off, still not ready to say it out loud. So he asked, "Why didn't you just tell me I was failing?"

"I panicked, okay?" Annie admitted. "I know how important leaving early is for you. Maybe not enough to _study_, but I get it. When I saw you were going to fail, I just…."

"Didn't want me bitching and moaning for the next five months?" Jeff figured.

"I didn't want you to be miserable, if you _must _know! I wanted you to be happy. I _always _want you to be happy," Annie sighed.

"If you told me I was that close to failing, I'd have shipped up. I'd have hated it at every turn, but I'd have done it. Especially with those stakes," Jeff insisted.

"Really, Jeff? With our adventures, do we ever _really_ study? At least as much as you'd need to pass?" Annie pointed out. "You're right, the stakes were too high for you. I couldn't risk that something would screw it up, even if I told you. So when I couldn't find an honest way out, I went the other way."

"_He _went the other way. It was _his _idea. I hope you remember that," Jeff said.

"Jeff, do you think I forgot _any _of it? What do you take _me_ for?" Annie threw back. "I committed academic fraud for you!"

"_He _did! Don't say _any_ of it was your fault! It was _his _idea to touch you!" Jeff argued.

"And I could have refused him and reported him, but I didn't!" Annie reminded. "I broke down and did it because it looked like the only way to save you. That's what I told myself. And when I thought I confessed in the woods, I kept telling myself you understood….and that's why you didn't talk to me about it. It's all that got me through it."

"But it almost wasn't enough. Why?" Jeff pressed.

"Why do you think? I was embarrassed and ashamed. Especially when I thought you knew," Annie stated. "And now that I _know_ you do…."

"Why in God's name would I make you feel _any_ of that?" Jeff puzzled.

"It's one thing to offer yourself for your own grades. It's another to do it for someone else's. Especially when _I'm_ doing it for _you_," Annie laid out. "I mean, I would never do anything like that for anyone else. That doesn't make it less….iffy."

"Does that cover embarrassed or ashamed?" Jeff checked.

"Embarrassed, mostly. Some of it is shame," Annie answered. "The rest is because I let him get away with it. He told us on day one he's done crap like this before. If he did it to me, he'll probably do it to someone else. And he might not stop with a foot rub next time."

"Annie, don't you think like that," Jeff warned, though they both knew it was futile.

"Why shouldn't I? Some innocent girl might get hurt someday, just because I wanted a pervert to pass a lazy student! Even I know that's worse than bad grades!" Annie cried. "I couldn't live with that, especially when I thought you all knew! So when you _didn't_ know, but we had to tell the truth anyway….I panicked. I panicked like I did with him, and I took the heat again."

"You could have made up something about Little Annie Adderall, or your rotten family. Why admit he touched you at all?" Jeff inquired.

"I thought it might give me a way out. Maybe you'd bust him, no one would believe him if he told the truth, and you'd raise hell yourself to keep your grade," Annie envisioned. "I hoped it might all work out on its own. But all it did was preserve my other secrets. Until now."

"So we're back to my first question, then. Why _that _lie? Why say you 'cheated' for you? Why say you 'cheated' at all?" Jeff asked again.

Annie froze up again, even after all her honesty so far. She was close to revealing the most painful truth of all, but there was no way around it now. All she could do was hope Jeff understood and didn't make her feel worse.

"I said I wouldn't do this for anyone but you. That was kind of a lie," she started off. "I kept wondering if I'd have done it if _I _wasn't acing history. Or any other class. Eventually, I figured out I would have."

"Okay, now I have to stop you," Jeff stopped. "I barely believed you did that when you said you did. I sure as hell don't believe it now."

"How would you know?" Annie questioned.

"Because I know you. And I know Annie Edison would never willingly do that," Jeff informed.

"I know myself well enough to know I _could_. And I'm me, not you, so I know what I'm talking about. I remember exposing Chang, playing your Real World tape, acting out over Annie Kim and destroying Todd, even if you don't. How is offering my foot for answers _that_ unlikely for me?" Annie said.

"But you're better than that now, I know that much," Jeff kept telling her.

"How well _do _you know me, Jeff?" Annie vetted. "Sometimes I think we're so close, you know me better than anyone. But this isn't one of those times, so you don't have a giant leg to stand on!"

"What does that have to do with you _thinking _you're a cheater? You'd never be one on purpose, and anyone who knows you just a little would agree!" Jeff argued.

"They didn't question it during the song. You didn't either. There's a good reason for it," Annie sighed.

"Yes, we're oblivious morons. That was established years ago," Jeff joked.

"It's not just that," Annie steeled herself to go into. "Jeff, I've done so many selfish, childish things just to be the best. So you can't tell me I'd never be _that _desperate for A's. If anything else, this finally made it clear to me."

"It doesn't make it right that he did _that _to you," Jeff declared.

"No, it doesn't. But if I let it happen to help you, there's no way I wouldn't do it to help myself. That's why the lie made sense to me. And I'll bet that's why you guys bought it without a thought," Annie recalled.

"It fell apart the minute I _did_ think about it. I'm sure it did for everyone else," Jeff hoped for.

"But it hasn't fallen apart for me. The only reason it was a little okay was…." She held a hand up before Jeff protested, needing to get comfortable again in silence. When she was ready, she resumed, "I didn't go too far over _my_ grade this time. I finally helped _someone else_ get ahead, not me."

"You help us all the time. You know none of us would have passed any class without you," Jeff remembered.

"I almost made you fail our first year. But now I made sure you passed your final year. That makes it okay. This time I wasn't selfish," Annie reasoned. "I came full circle by doing this. And I gave us closure too."

"Why is this back to us again?" Jeff got sidetracked.

Annie sighed, mustering up one last burst of strength. "Jeff, we haven't spent this much time together since the convention. At this rate, we'll just keep drifting apart when you graduate."

"Are you blaming me or you for that?" Jeff checked.

"It's no one's fault, I guess," Annie said unconvincingly. "You had your thing with your dad and Britta. I had my new major and….this stuff. And I'm sure when you said that 'If we were married' stuff to me, you wanted to keep your distance. Just in case I got the wrong idea again."

"You think I….just _what _do you think I think? Really?" Jeff got a little offended.

"You don't have to think we're a loose end anymore," Annie theorized. "This is the best closure for us. I finally learned to let you go, you're free from Greendale and our drama, and you'll get back to your old life. Maybe with Britta when she officially dumps Troy."

"When she what? And you think….wow, we are _not_ on the same page at all," Jeff exclaimed.

"It's been like that for three years. How else could it end?" Annie concluded.

"Well, it's not ending like this!" Jeff declared. "Not with some psycho professor feeling up your foot and getting away with it! You wouldn't let criminals like that slide in forensics!"

"Guys like that can't keep you here, Jeff," Annie reminded Jeff. "If I make them do something, all our grades will get thrown out, you'll be stuck at Greendale, and I'll have done this for nothing!"

"Annie, he took advantage of you and made you doubt your integrity, and you wanted us to doubt it too. You want me to graduate because of _that_?" Jeff demanded to know.

"You can't _not_ graduate because of me! You can't do it just to 'save' me! I'm not…." Annie shuddered, but made herself finish, "I'm not worth it."

Annie couldn't look Jeff in the eye – but she certainly felt his hands grasp her forearms. She then heard him say, "There is _no _way you expect me to believe that."

"Jeff, I've told you why you should since I got here. Didn't you listen?" Annie said to the floor.

"I'm the only one listening to you. If you were, you'd…." Jeff sighed. "You sounded like you didn't value yourself with that lie. You're selling yourself short even worse with the truth! Christ, Annie, you…." Jeff struggled to find words for once. "Don't you have any idea how….incredible you really are?"

Those were the deepest words Jeff ever said to Annie. Maybe to anyone in his entire life. A few years ago, Annie might have gotten love struck over words like that, and Jeff might have _pretended_ to hate it.

Yet now, her response was devoid of lovey-dovey sunshine. "How would I know that, Jeff? I never heard that from anyone unless I got A's. So how could I know it myself when no one else told me, for any other reason? I'm not a mind reader."

Jeff was speechless, so Annie tried to convince him while she could. "Just let me do this for you, Jeff. Graduate and make something good out of what happened. Especially if….something really bad comes out of it later."

"Something bad came out of it already," Jeff muttered.

"Jeff, _I _agreed to it, he didn't rape me or go above my feet, I'm fine," Annie said, although her voice was shaking. "I can handle just_ looking_ like a cheater."

Annie still couldn't look at Jeff, yet he fixed that by putting her face in his hands and lifting it up. Yet she still tried to avoid eye contact.

"Jeff, I know what you're gonna say! I'm not a cheater, he made me do it, I did nothing wrong! I know that deep down, I really do!" Annie tried to insist. "I just….wish I could _believe_ it. If I did, I wouldn't have made up that lie. I wouldn't have let him touch my feet at all! I wouldn't let him have the chance to do it again! I would have done the right thing…."

Annie rolled her eyes, if only to avoid looking at Jeff and to hold back her tears. "I know I care more about success than doing good sometimes. I thought this was different because it wasn't for me! But I still feel so…."

"Annie," Jeff said simply, which finally made her look at him. He didn't look bored, uncaring or too cool to care. In fact, he looked almost as wide eyed and focused as she did.

"I need you to say this out loud, at least once. None of this is your fault. You have nothing to be ashamed of," Jeff insisted.

"None of this is my fault. I have nothing to be ashamed of," Annie repeated. "I know the actual….touching wasn't my fault. But after that….I don't know yet."

"I do," Jeff explained. "I could have told you if you told me. You could have told me that other stuff too."

"When have we told each other what we're really feeling, Jeff? We're not those kinds of friends," Annie said, but she said it as a joke and not an accusation. It wasn't meant to make Jeff feel bad, yet it was all he felt.

"You know I still feel _something_, right? Even when we don't talk for weeks?" Jeff tried to convey.

"At least you felt something after I told you my 'secret'," Annie recalled. "I'm glad you guys didn't think I was a slutty cheater. And I didn't_ really_ want you to get angry and figure the rest out. But then no one did….and then you did anyway…." she bit back a sob. "You actually kept worrying about me."

"Oh, God," Jeff groaned – and it wasn't an aggravated groan. It was so sad and not like Jeff, Annie almost finally broke down. Somehow, all she did was close in and hug him, which Jeff quickly returned.

Several seconds into their embrace, Annie spoke, "Can we just watch TV? I don't want to talk right now. Or go home yet."

"Of course," Jeff instantly said. He made sure Annie was comfortable and snuggled up next to him, then turned on the TV to flipping through channels.

They didn't talk while they searched for a show, or even when they found shows only one of them liked. There was no way they were actually paying attention, so it barely mattered.

All that mattered to Annie was finding an escape, which she now had in Jeff's arms. Perhaps if they were too busy, his mouth wouldn't move and she could avoid one more debate. Or another debate with herself over what she'd let happen, and what she should do now; or should have done already.

Annie was getting too confused and heartbroken to focus, and it was hardly the first time. All she wanted to think about was Jeff actually being here for her, if only for a few precious moments.

However, the moments went by faster after she fell asleep in Jeff's arms. Especially since he didn't bother to wake her all night.


	3. Chapter 3

When Annie woke up, she felt relief over her first good night's sleep in days. Then she felt warmer than usual in the morning. She didn't put any extra blankets on, so that wasn't it.

Especially because she wasn't under any blankets. Or on her bed. Or in her house. Or even alone while she slept.

Once Annie saw Jeff sleeping next to her on his couch, she took just a second to mentally freak out. When she felt calm enough, she somehow got his giant arm off from around her shoulder and slid down the couch.

Annie didn't know what time it was, and almost didn't care if she couldn't get to school on time from here. _Almost._ That may have been the biggest crime of all. But she immediately knew that wasn't quite right.

There were some bigger crimes in this whole mess; even if Cornwallis's wasn't as big as it could have been. But it still easily could have been. In fact, Annie was downright lucky that he just wanted her feet, all things considered. Lucky and stupid.

No. She wasn't stupid, she knew that. All she wanted was to do good for her friend. The way she ultimately did it wasn't her idea, and it wasn't her fault, whether it made her a cheater or not. Annie knew this deep in her heart – but her constant fear of failure, and being worthless without school, kept telling her different.

The actual act wasn't her fault. But being part of grade tampering, lying to her friends, making Jeff feel guilty and letting a pervert keep his job…..it was only her fault if she let that slide.

Deep down, Annie knew only one thing could help her. No matter how much she knew she shouldn't feel guilty, only one act would make her believe it. No matter how much she told herself that she was selfless, caring and out to do good for others, only one thing would truly prove it now.

She'd just have to destroy someone else to do it – the one person she did this for to begin with. Maybe that was how they were really meant to have closure. Instead of petering out with a whimper, they would blow up in one final bang.

Was that really how he'd react, though? And if he did, was that any worse than letting Cornwallis roam free? Or letting academic fraud go unpunished? Or failing to be the righteous student and person she always made herself appear to be?

Annie knew the answer from the start, but managed to ignore it so far. Yet it wasn't a real option anymore.

There was just the matter of telling Jeff. After seeing him stir and wake up, there was no time like the present.

"I have to tell him, Jeff," Annie willed herself to start. "I have to tell the Dean what really happened, _and_ make him do something this time. It means your grade will get thrown out and you won't graduate until May. But I have to do it anyway. It's the only way I can feel right about who I am again."

She sighed and tried to compromise, "Maybe I can cut a deal where the Dean just lets you pass. It'll be a long,_ long_ shot. But I'm sure he wouldn't want me to tell the board some other things."

"So you'd use blackmail to make me graduate?" Jeff checked.

"It's an improvement, I guess," Annie tried to convince herself. "If there's some better way you can graduate anyway, I'll find it."

Jeff paused for an uncomfortably long time, then sighed and seemed to mutter to himself. Before Annie could try to listen, he clearly spoke, "No, you won't."

"I know it'll be tough, but I can find it," Annie answered, on the off chance that was what he meant.

"And I'd be cheering you on and doing nothing myself. Four years ago," Jeff qualified. "You thought getting foot rubbed made us come full circle? I can top that. I faked being a real graduate before I came to Greendale. But I don't want to do it again. You made that happen, so it looks like our circle's pretty full."

"Jeff, you don't have to like this just for me," Annie assured. "I don't want to manipulate you again. I'm not even Disney-ing you."

Jeff had that weirdly emotional look from last night, which would have normally made Annie "aww!" him to death. Now it made her feel unsettled.

"Annie, what do you really think of me?" Jeff asked, without a trace of snark. "Do you think leaving Greendale is all I care about anymore? Did I really make you think I care about it _that _much more than you? Even in a mess like this?"

When Annie didn't know how to answer, for a few reasons, Jeff sighed, "Okay, never mind that. It doesn't matter anymore, anyway. Because it's not happening anymore."

"You say that now," Annie stated. She should have been happy and touched, but she couldn't stop playing devil's advocate. If he was really doing this, he deserved to realize just what he was doing.

"They'll have to find a qualified new professor, Jeff. Someone who can't be bought off _and _who actually teaches something, " Annie guessed. "How would you pass with that professor when you couldn't pass with Cornwallis?"

Annie was sad to realize he had him there. Besides, if he could have passed in the first place, none of this would have happened. She trusted Jeff knew this already, so she didn't need to nag him.

"Clearly I can't do it myself," Jeff admitted. "So you'll just have to help me."

"Well, you know I'll give you my usual notes," Annie reassured.

"That won't cut it," Jeff countered. "If you really need to help me graduate, there's a better way than foot rubs. Even if it might be more aggravating." He sighed and clarified, "You can tutor me."

"Huh?" Annie asked, although she understood the words. They just didn't sound right coming from him.

"You can tutor me," Jeff repeated. "Not like our study room tutoring. I mean _actual _tutoring and studying. You come here every Friday, make me study like a real student, and I'll try not to make you kill yourself before you kill me. Then I'll graduate the right way, you'll get to help me, and we'll even spend real time together while we're at it."

Annie was taken aback on multiple levels, yet Jeff kept making his case. "That sounds like real closure for us. It also sounds like torture for both of us, I know. But one of us deserves that, and it isn't you."

"Jeff, I….you…." Annie tried and failed to answer.

"Annie, if I actually learned from the start, none of this would have happened, " Jeff confessed. "If I did a lot of things different…" he lamented before shaking it off. "Anyway, I _am _doing this. But only if you do one more thing for me."

"What?" Annie asked, too overwhelmed to joke that it couldn't be harder than tutoring Jeff.

"The next time you think you're not worth something….would you mind telling me? I didn't really like hearing those lies last night. But someone's got to balance them out with the truth. Whenever you can't do it yourself, I'd like to take a shot now," Jeff offered.

"Jeff…." Annie started again, yet followed up with other words this time. "I don't feel like that all the time."

"It's still one time too many. It's time someone told you that. Especially when they've known it for years and never bothered to tell you. But if you want to start speaking up, I might as well do the same," Jeff reasoned.

Annie didn't know how to react, since this sort of offer was so unfamiliar to her. For all of the ways that the study group had been her first real friends, they never offered to be there like this. _Jeff _never offered to be there like this.

He tried so hard to make it look like he wasn't capable of it; and even Annie began to believe it over time. But if he was proving it like this now, maybe anything was possible. Maybe he could even pass a real history class with her help.

Then again, Jeff was always good at the big gestures _after _a disaster. Once they blew over, he was usually right back to his old self, until the last minute of the next crisis.

But then again, Annie usually did the same thing too.

For all the times she claimed to be "new Annie" it hadn't really stuck. Not when it came to her priorities, ideas of self-worth and willingness to sacrifice her morals out of fear – for her own good and _sometimes _for others. If she wanted to be someone better and make it last, it had to start here.

And if that was what Jeff was doing too, how could she turn him down?

"So it's a deal? On all of it?" Jeff asked after Annie looked accepting. Yet she hardened again when she remembered something – this wasn't all about her and Jeff.

"The whole group would have to take the class over with us. It might stop them from graduating on time too," Annie reminded. "Before I do anything, I need to talk to them."

"And if they still haven't let this sink in yet?" Jeff warned.

"That won't be a problem by the end. One way or another," Annie accepted. Nevertheless, she was a bit scared to find out which way it would be.

She was relieved they didn't make a big deal of her story yesterday afternoon. But it was much harder to be happy about it now. It was much harder to ignore the fear that they didn't say anything because they didn't care.

It was ridiculous on the surface; yet that rarely stopped fear from overwhelming Annie's logic before. Then again, she had to start fighting it sometime.

Nevertheless, she didn't check her cell to see if anyone called. She didn't even drive back to her apartment to get her school books first, in case Troy and Abed were there. She needed the whole drive to Greendale to get her strength up, get ready to face them all at once and rip the band-aid off, whether it healed anything or not.

Annie narrowly stayed strong as she and Jeff arrived at Greendale and marched to the study room. When they got there, Troy, Abed, Britta and Shirley were already waiting. Just as Annie actually remembered that Pierce was still gone, Shirley ran up and suddenly hugged her.

"Oh, Ann-ie! We're so sorry we didn't burn Cornwallis at the stake yesterday!" Shirley said.

"Uh, thanks?" Annie asked, more confused than moved.

"I can explain that," Abed offered after Shirley let Annie breathe again. "None of us took your secret as seriously as we should have, as we now know. Troy and Britta realized it first when they made small talk about our singing. Then when they got to your part, they both yelled at once, 'Wait, WHAT?!'' Abed yelled like Troy.

"Both of you? Together?" Annie asked, trying not to laugh at Abed. Or be too shocked that Troy and Britta did something together again.

"Yes, it worked on far more levels than just a clever callback," Abed answered for them. "They rallied me and Shirley to action, and they had their best material together in weeks. Perhaps I need to rethink a few predictions," he admitted as he saw Britta and Troy smile together. But they got serious again when they turned to Annie.

"I know you almost lost faith in me as an activist. I didn't want you to lose faith in me as a feminist too," Britta said. "If I did that by not breaking his slimy man hands, I'm really sorry. I wish I was on those berries so I'd have a real excuse!"

"Right, _that's _why you wish you had those," Jeff and Shirley said simultaneously, which at least made Annie laugh – if not Britta.

"I lied about getting touched in a no no place, and it really hurt to get busted. I can't imagine what_ this_ is like for you!" Troy admitted. "I should have used my imagination to try yesterday, I know that now. My failed Inception theories have clogged it up long enough!"

"Don't worry, our imaginations will get Cornwallis torn up while you clear your head," Britta assured.

"Wow, I forgot how you can say the best and hottest things," Troy swooned.

"Yeah, you did," Britta said fondly, then snapped out of it. "Anyway, the point is we're taking that sick old tosser down for you, Annie!" she said in a comically comical Cockney voice. Thankfully, she spoke like normal when she added, "We would have let you know if you bothered to come home, or answer our calls. But it's really funny how Jeff didn't answer our calls too."

"Jeffrey, does she mean funny ha ha, or funny hell hell? Keep in mind, we really care about people touching Annie again," Shirley warned.

"Okay, that's as good a set up as any," Annie said before Jeff could say anything. "I'm really glad you guys want to help me. I just hope you still do after I….explain a few things. Like what I _actually _did back then. And what I hope you'll let me do now."

Without any more dread, Annie told the group everything this time around. Needless to say, reactions were varied at first.

"Jeff, you jag! I knew smart women should make sure you're far away from them, but not like this!"

"So Annie's still leading the class for real? I should have known."

"Good thing I'm separating real life from TV now, or these would be way too jarring twists for me."

"Wait, Juno is Keyser Soze, it all makes sense now! No, wait, that's not it. Then he wouldn't be American Beauty too." Then after a pause, "Wait, we're getting our grades thrown out?!"

"I don't want them to!" Annie answered. "But if they did it when Professor Kane resigned, they have to do it over actual grade tampering! It makes sense!"

"Despite it being associated with Greendale, it does make sense," Jeff admitted.

"You know, jokes like that make it hard to believe you're on board with this," Britta questioned. "You're really willing to pass up graduating early? And then _study_? Out of your own free will?"

"Yes, because it was his idea," Annie informed on Jeff's behalf.

"So doesn't that say this is the one time you should listen to me?" Jeff added less effectively.

"Guys, I'm doing this no matter what. I have to," Annie said. "I just don't want you to be too mad when I do. You'll have to take the class again, deal with real work, and maybe we won't graduate on time together. Will you be okay with that? Eventually?"

Annie didn't want to Disney eye them into being okay. They probably had a hard enough time buying that she didn't Disney eye Jeff into this.

Finally, Shirley broke the silence. "I admitted something terrible yesterday. Then you all made me feel better about myself anyway, when I needed it most. But when Annie needed that a lot more, we just brushed it off." She then came right back to Annie and finished, "I'll be damned if we do that again now. I'm in."

"Me too. If I can't help you like this, or figure out how Eames could turn into Bane, I don't deserve to pass on time," Troy stated.

"I admit, keeping Jeff and getting a surprise back nine of adventures could get this year back on track. I mean, I'm in," Abed corrected. "Sorry, old habits die….somewhat difficultly."

"Britta, how about you?" Jeff asked. "There are far harder ways to get activist street cred back than this."

"I was gonna do it before I knew that, Jeff. I'll just take the cred out of principle, nothing more," Britta declared.

"So you're all on board?" Annie checked. "You're really okay with….whatever happens because of me?"

"It happened because a sick man took advantage of our Annie, just for trying to bail out our Jeffrey. There's no way the Dean's gonna forget that today. _None_ of us are gonna let him," Shirley promised.

Annie felt ashamed of herself again – but unlike the last few days, she was ashamed for ever doubting her family. As oblivious as they could be for a little while, they would _never_ let her down once they got a clue. And she was fully ready to reward their faith in her now.

"Thank you. Just….thanks," she said, knowing how inadequate that really was. Yet perhaps she had to save her bigger words for bigger things.

"Okay then. I never thought I'd willingly say this," Jeff announced. "But let's go talk to the Dean."


	4. Chapter 4

"Morn-Dean!" Jeff called out as he and the group entered the Dean's office. "There, I made your pun for the morning, my mouth literally feels like vomit, we can move on now."

"Jeffrey, that was gonna be my pun for tomorrow!" Dean Pelton groaned. "I'll let it slide because buffer puppet you was so much fun last night. But if you steal my sun costume.…please take pictures so I have proof you were in my closet."

"Okay, Annie can do all the talking from here, thanks," Jeff backed away and gave Annie the spotlight.

"So you remember puppet Jeff?" Annie set up, gathering her courage. "And my song about letting Professor Cornwallis rub my feet? Do you remember that?"

"Was that from the hot air balloon number? No, that's too dark for an opener. It couldn't have been the one with that wildly successful Greendale mountain man," the Dean ruled out. "Wait, wasn't there a bit where you and Britta puppet felt each other up? That sounds like a good fit for creepy stuff."

"Okay, I'm _not _gonna point out the hypocrisy there, _that's _how serious this is!" Britta declared. "One of your professors felt up Annie's foot, and you don't even care!"

"Well, um, isn't he more like one of Duncan's people?" the Dean got nervous.

"Great, and I _just_ got him out of my head!" Troy declared. "I only have room for one British teacher at a time in there! Can you fire the creepy one so the _funny _creepy one can come back? And so Annie will be okay again?"

"Okay, I get it! I know this is a serious matter! But you try seeing what I saw last night, _then _talk to me about your memory! Then again, you see it all the time in human form, so you're desensitized! Like you haven't rubbed it in enough," the Dean sulked.

"Dean!" Annie snapped him out of it. "I know Jeff can be very distracting. But I would never forget about something like this because of him, and you shouldn't either! Your employee made me agree to let him rub my feet, and I'd like you to discipline or fire him! Please!" she remembered to add.

The Dean finally kept any Jeff-related comments to himself, and actually thought things over. "If this is that serious….then do you have any proof?"

Annie realized she didn't have that on her side. No one else was there during the foot rub, and Jeff was all alone when Cornwallis incriminated himself. Thanks to that, this was just another "he said, she said" situation – and as Britta loved to rant about, the she's didn't usually win.

So until she could think of a better way, Annie used her other trump card. "I have the truth. I didn't let him do it to fix my grade. I did it when he offered to fix Jeff's in return. If I hadn't, Jeff wouldn't graduate early."

"One word about him being a hero and the closet gets burned to the ground. Okay, _now_ no more talking to you," Jeff told Pelton.

When the Dean didn't argue, Annie continued with, "But I know if you believe me, you'll have to throw out _everyone's _grade in History means Jeff would have to stay one more semester. But he's okay with it. Are you?"

Annie and everyone else were pretty sure that would convince him. But after the Dean made a few thankfully incomprehensible noises, he cried out, "No! You're right, I have to take this seriously! That means I can't let Jeffrey influence this, so don't test me! No matter how much one test answered my greatest prayers, I have to call in sick!"

The group groaned at having blown this, and awakening the Dean's competency at the worst time. He then made a call and asked, "Could you get Professor Cornwallis in here, please? There's an urgent matter he needs to clear up now."

"You can't handle the truth!" Abed suddenly yelled. Once everyone was properly confused, he cleared up. "Okay, I got it out of the way before he showed up. Now I won't be tempted to ruin this showdown with out of place, predictable spoofing."

"Well, that's gotta bode well, right?" Shirley tried to uplift the group. Admittedly, it did help them until Cornwallis arrived.

"You wanted to see me, Dean?" the professor asked before seeing the group. Yet he didn't blink as he added, "I was wondering why there were seven empty seats in class this time. Although I only count six of you."

"Yes, we don't miss Pierce enough to find him yet, we get it!" the Dean brushed off. "We have another matter worth caring about first. Someone in this room has lodged serious accusations against you."

Cornwallis froze for a second, but recovered quickly without even looking at Annie or Jeff. Instead, he answered, "I should have known. Given the past, I expected to be targeted like this eventually. So what's the charge?"

"It's a serious, albeit multi layered one," Dean Pelton said. "You allegedly rubbed young Annie Edison's foot. And agreed to let the very young looking Jeffrey Winger pass your class in return."

"Oh, that's all?" Cornwallis asked, risking further ire from the group. "I expected to be falsely accused of far worse. I'm not even mad, really. But I assume you have proof, or this wouldn't have gotten so far."

"Yes, well, we just got to the 'letting you face your accuser' part. I figured proof would come out of nowhere by now, like on TV," the Dean admitted.

"It's okay, that's a rookie mistake," Abed assured.

"It wasn't by God, He don't make mistakes. So that means He ain't letting you get away with touching Annie, or making Jeffrey leave here! And we won't either! You can start to beg for mercy now," Shirley informed Cornwallis.

"I see it now. Ms. Edison didn't want Mr. Winger to leave her, or her group, early. So she made this up to get all your grades thrown out, and keep him here," Cornwallis theorized. "I admit, I thought you would use a more original trick."

"That's right, she did something like that to get Chang fired! The first time! God, that was so many times ago I lost track, thank you!" the Dean exclaimed.

"Hold on, how do you know about that?" Britta wondered.

"I clearly knew nothing about this place when I came here. But I fixed that after my first encounter with you people. Now I know enough that I'm not surprised to face this. Just disappointed," Cornwallis acted.

"Hey, you can't use your evil British wizard voodoo on us! At least Duncan put on a clay hat first!" Troy declared.

"No further explanation needed, I beg you," Cornwallis asked. "First I'd like to know if you have any actual evidence, other than her word. Is it even a reliable word?"

"Ha, got you there!" Britta cheered. "Annie's more honest than anyone I know. And it's only annoying _half _the time. Hell, even when she lies, it's for a good reason. Of course she wouldn't admit to –"

"She said she got her foot rubbed for test answers first! _Then_ she told us about you passing Jeff!" Troy interrupted by telling the truth for Britta.

"Troy! We were gonna stop Britta from Britta'ing it, why'd you stop us?" Shirley wondered.

"We all know it wouldn't have worked. So I figured if we were gonna be ruined, we should be Troy'd instead," Troy defended.

Britta gave him a real Jeff/Annie like smile, as they took another step out of the abyss. But then she remembered where she was and what happened, and everyone else's glares at her and Troy reminded them too.

"So all you have is the word of someone who's already changed her story," Cornwallis recapped. "That's more than enough reasonable doubt for any school board. Even this one. You certainly must do more than declare me guilty because of my past….incidents."

Before the group objected, Cornwallis kept going like he was giving a Winger speech. "You all have sordid pasts that you'd hate to get thrown back in your faces. Especially if you're so different from those dark days now. If you could treat me by those same standards, you'd see I deserve fair treatment too."

Before the more gullible people in the room could be taken in, Annie finally spoke up. "No, you don't. Because you actually did it."

"So you claim. It's a rather loaded claim, really. With loaded consequences, even if they believe you," Cornwallis hinted at. Annie knew exactly why he put that in her head – but she gathered her courage to surprise him with her response.

"Yes, I know that. If I prove it, they'll have to throw out everyone's grade. Including mine," Annie recapped as she marched towards the professor. "I'll have an incomplete on my permanent record, for the second straight semester. I'll have to repeat a class. I might as well have failed until I do."

"And yet you're still making this claim!" Cornwallis interrupted – literally taking the words out of Annie's mouth. She wanted to say it to show how serious she was about exposing him, despite the consequences to her grades. That alone would prove she was serious and telling the truth.

But Cornwallis would turn that strategy on its head.

"Do you truly want to lose your perfect record? The thing that defines you the most and ensures you'll be somebody after Greendale? Do you want to put your frontrunner status as valedictorian in jeopardy for that?" Cornwallis challenged. "After all you've been through, do you really want to be below the cream of the crop in _this _school? Is that what you struggled your whole life to be?"

"You don't get to talk about her life. She'll have one that's a hell of a lot better than yours!" Jeff warned.

"At least I'm willing to give her the last word, and let her speak for herself," Cornwallis quieted Jeff down, then got back to Annie. "I just want you to think carefully before that last word. My life and career may be on the line here, but I've had my time. Do you really want to put yours at risk?"

Cornwallis ignored the group itching to argue back on Annie's behalf, and directly focused on Annie herself. "You _know _you can still be perfect and the best if you choose one path. But the other is too uncertain for someone like you. Are you sure that's what you want anyway?"

If Jeff or the others had anything to say, Annie couldn't hear them. She was lost in her mind – which was working its paranoid magic once again.

It gave her images of Annie repeating history class, failing with real work, and being just another middle of the pack graduate. It showed her a future where she got a middle of the pack job, became lazy and unmotivated, and wasted away in places where no one would notice or respect her. With her history, it might not be the only thing she'd use to kill her brain cells by then.

She couldn't let that happen. She wasn't anything close to a failure – she couldn't be. Without her smarts and drive for perfection, she would have gone insane long ago. Without them, she was nothing or would eventually be nothing.

After all, she failed out of high school when she went nuts, and look what happened then! She lost her education, she lost her family….

….she got clean. She broke away from a mother who never loved her for her. She became independent for the first time….

….then she went to Greendale to finally get Troy! What a failure that turned out to be….

….so much so that when she stopped pursuing him, she actually got to know him. Know the person who let her live with him and his best friend, and give her the first loving home she'd ever had….

….of course, once she gave up on Troy, she moved on to Jeff, and that was a total disaster! She failed more miserably with him than anything, and she became nothing but a child for it….

…..a 'child' that Jeff was now willing to stay in Greendale for. Not for dreamy romantic reasons – presumably – but because he cared for her happiness and value more than his. That would have been impossible even three years ago.

But what value did she have without school or grades? If she had any, she never would have acted out all those times just to stay perfect! She never would have….

….survived being expelled for three months. Even after the worst disgrace of her academic life, she was okay. She failed on an epic scale, but she got through. She even thrived to help clear everyone's name and save Greendale, even if Jeff didn't give her a key part.

But she made it out okay. After every massive failure she ever had – and there were so many – she was okay. In fact, she found the greatest gifts, lessons and connections of her life _after_ she failed.

If she _was _perfect, she really would have nothing beyond grades. Now she had everything, and everyone, because she'd been imperfect.

It was such a simple and obvious lesson. So why didn't she know this a long time ago?

"Well, Ms. Edison?" Cornwallis snapped her out of her trance, making her remember why she was here. And his presence made Annie remember all the consequences for telling the truth. For losing her grade. Her place as the best of the….close to best.

For losing the one thing that kept her alive in high school – and the one thing that would keep her from being nothing after graduation. As she'd told herself over and over again all these years….

….even when she knew deep down it wasn't true.

It wasn't true. If it was, she wouldn't have survived long enough to get here, or throw away perfection.

But there were worse things than not being perfect. Letting evil roam free to prey on others just to protect yourself. Loving something so much that it makes you a coward so you won't lose it.

Wanting to be a brave, decent, selfless person who's worth more than grades, but chickening out when it's time to prove it.

That wasn't happening this time.

Annie loved her grades and knowledge and wouldn't apologize for it; not after everything they gave her when she had nothing else. But she was more than grades. She was a valuable, honorable person for reasons other than academics. At least she wanted to be so badly.

She could truly prove it right now, while she had the chance. While she could learn the right lessons and make them stick for more than a week. Starting….

"Well, there it is," Cornwallis interrupted again. "If she was truly on the level, she would have answered me right away. Why would she hesitate if she was telling the truth? Now even if she says it, it's too late for it to be _actual _evidence."

"I'm afraid he has a point," Dean Pelton admitted. "That doesn't mean I'm throwing this out! Serious Dean don't roll that way. But we'll have to have a real hearing and let the both of you prove your case."

"Excellent, American justice truly works," Cornwallis praised.

"Ah ha, throw in an insanity charge right there! We're winning already," Britta bragged.

"Regardless, now a jury of our peers can decide who to believe," Cornwallis presented. "One of this school's actual legitimate scholars, or a little girl with a questionable story?"

"Okay. I was gonna do this once or 10 times already. Might as well get it out of the way now," Jeff set up.

But before he could charge at Cornwallis, Annie snapped into action.

"No, Jeff! He's right!" Annie blocked his way, as the rest of her plan began to take shape. When she had enough worked out, she continued, "I don't have actual evidence. They're gonna rule against me, and all this will be for nothing."

Before Jeff could spring into action again, Annie turned to the professor and added, "You're right, you're the most decorated teacher here. They can't let you leave Greendale. Not for a little girl, like you said."

"Annie, could I have a word before you go _anywhere _with this?" Jeff asked/growled.

Yet without missing a beat, Annie spun around and demanded, "Jeff, let me do this! It's time for me to face reality, okay?"

At the very end, Annie gave a wink that was so quick, it was missed by everyone but Jeff. But when it registered to him, and Annie repeated, "Let me do this," Jeff ever so slowly began to calm down. This made Annie turn back to Cornwallis before he could notice.

"I'll admit it. I'm an academic genius, but there's so much I don't know about real life. I mean, I'm 22, I kicked a pill addiction by myself, and I _still _act like a child! At least you know how the real world really works," Annie claimed.

"I've been taught some harsh lessons, yes. But if they help me help my students, all the better," Cornwallis took the bait.

"What the hell? Annie, where's the righteous judgment we were gonna give him? At least tell us there's still a righteous butt whooping coming," Shirley requested. Annie could hear Jeff quietly telling her to back off, so she kept talking and kept Cornwallis focused on her.

"I've just been coasting here without real professors. I shouldn't punish you just for giving me a real challenge. If I'm going to be the best, I have to earn it instead of being dishonest," Annie said, slowly putting her doe eyes on.

"Oh, you are kidding me with this backwards garbage!" Britta yelled out. But Annie ignored her and kept talking to Cornwallis, while Jeff whispered to make everyone keep quiet – mostly so he wouldn't have to keep watching this.

"I'm not kidding," Annie said to the professor. "I have to be honest with myself. I _am _still a girl who does childish things, just for learning. I need help, and there's no one here who can help me learn better than you. If you can do that for me, I'll forget the whole thing."

Annie barely kept herself from throwing up inside as she Disney-faced Cornwallis. But if this was how he – and probably many others – saw her, then she would make it work for her benefit for _once_.

"I think that would be a fair compromise," Cornwallis said, showing the first signs of leering. As the study group's whispers and arguments got louder behind her, Annie got to the point.

"Would you do anything to help me relax? To make me be your best student? Or at least look like it?" Annie got closer, then noisily rubbed her right foot against the bottom of her left leg. Luckily, Cornwallis was so focused that he couldn't hear Britta whisper her disgust.

"If you really needed it," Cornwallis said, his voice starting to shake.

"I do. I mean, if I let you go that far to pass Jeff, what do you think you could do for _my _grades?" Annie asked with a wide eyed stare, willing herself not to be grossed out a while longer.

"I, I can only imagine," Cornwallis slipped up for the first time. But Annie knew that wouldn't be enough, as she stuck out her feet further.

"Would you give me a better massage than last time?" she asked the enticed professor.

"I admit I need improvement," Cornwallis stopped realizing what he was saying. Now the group and the Dean weren't whispering to themselves anymore.

"Well, you did real well when you just fixed Jeff's grade," Annie made herself stomach saying.

Being this caricature and listening to this man incriminate himself made her both sick and furious. But she used all her willpower not to let that show as she finished, "How many more grades would you fix just to help a desperate, type A little girl like me? What's one more, huh?"

"Yes, they'd be a lot easier to fix than Mr. Winger's was. So what's one more indeed?" Cornwallis finished himself off. Yet he was too busy letting his hand drift towards Annie's leg to realize it.

From behind, Jeff was too busy squeezing his hands together so he wouldn't unleash them on Cornwallis.

But Annie was too disgusted, furious, triumphant and vengeful to stop her right hand from slugging him first.

Once Cornwallis went down, the rest of the group and the Dean finally gasped out loud again. After a second, Annie snapped out of her angry trance as well and asked Pelton, "He's not a professor anymore, so that doesn't go on my record? Right?" At least that was a smaller way to care about grades.

"You set me up. You Christopher Hansen'd me in reverse!" Cornwallis realized. "That's entrapment, it doesn't count!"

"But you didn't say you were lying. Even if you say it now, it's _not _real evidence, is it?" Annie threw back at him.

"I should have gone for your ankle when I had the chance! Wow, that was….incredibly misleading," Cornwallis vainly tried to backtrack as he got up.

"I don't think so," Annie said before going to the Dean. "And I don't think we need a hearing anymore either. Do we?"

"You can't take this seriously! You saw this unbalanced Lolita entrap me, and _I'm _the guilty one?" Cornwallis asked the Dean. "What if Mr. Winger did that to you? Should you be persecuted for that? You know I shouldn't either!"

"Well, since we're incredibly screwed now, it really doesn't matter anymore," Jeff said, then finally raised his fists towards the professor.

"Stop!" Dean Pelton announced. "This is actually no time for that. Which makes him even _more _sick," he addressed Cornwallis. "You're sick and you're fired, so go home!"

"Are you…._you're _judging _me_ for deviancy? What kind of dark alternate universe am I in?" Cornwallis gaped.

"Get him out of here. _Now,_" Abed demanded.

"That's right, get out of here! Get out of here!" the Dean ran up and practically shooed Cornwallis out of his office, until he stammered and stormed out on his own.

Once the dust settled and everyone could take it all in, everyone's focus returned to Annie. "Ho. Ly. Crap," Britta actually said. "What the hell was that, Annie?"

"He thought I was a little girl, so that's what he got," Annie stated. "That's how people thought I acted like for years. It's how I _was_ like sometimes. So I knew how to act the part just for him."

"Did you plan that with her, Jeff? Is that why you shushed us to death?" Shirley wondered.

"I was as lost and mind screwed as you. I just trusted her, that's all," Jeff answered. He then went back on his word and addressed the Dean again. "And I trust this will affect our final grade."

"I guess it has to," Dean Pelton agreed. "I just stopped dreaming I'd get to say this. And I _never _wanted to say it because of that. But….by the power vested in me, I declare Jeffrey Winger's history grade thrown out! Hell, incomplete grades all around!"

Now that it was official, Britta and Shirley cheered and hugged Annie, while Troy and Abed did their handshake. Yet both Jeff and Annie stayed quiet, although the Dean kept talking. "Now I guess I gotta tell your classmates they're getting held back too. And maybe get Pierce out of the woods to tell him, if I have time."

"Yeah, we probably shouldn't be here for the first part. Second part, we can play by ear," Shirley stated. With that, she, Britta, Troy, Abed and the Dean left the room for various reasons. Only Jeff and Annie remained, still letting it all sink in.

Annie rubbed her still slightly sore fist, if only to settle down for a while. But Jeff gave her a better distraction by taking her hand and squeezing it for her. The pain seemed more manageable at that point.

"About a minute and a half," Jeff broke the silence. "That's how long I could sit through that bit. Before I was about to clobber him for you. So if you ever have to do a sequel in front of me, please keep it under 90 seconds. Or make sure you don't have to do it."

"I'll do my best," Annie said teasingly and sincerely.

"I wouldn't cut the ending, though. Not by a long shot," Jeff assured. He further showed his appreciation by rubbing her hand softly. It could be seen as romantic or sexual – which Annie might have done two years ago – but it felt more meaningful than that. At least compared to how Annie was touched when this all started.

When that sunk in for Annie and made her smile, Jeff finally let go and went to the office door. Gesturing outside, he uttered a word he hadn't used in a year-and-a-half – although he heard it quite recently. Yet for the second time, he erased Cornwallis's memory by saying, "Milady."

Although Annie didn't know Cornwallis said it, just hearing it from Jeff for the first time in ages floored her. When it sunk in, she felt relaxed, safe and valued at the same time – a rare combination for her.

She fell back into the habit and brightly answered, "Milord," then walked out side by side with Jeff. It almost felt like the best kind of ending.

But even in this moment of victory, Annie knew it couldn't be that easy.


	5. Chapter 5

_One month later_

Annie arrived at Jeff's apartment on Friday night, and instinctively wished she brought throw pillows. For his part, Jeff instinctively wanted to joke that the torture of a real study session could begin. But both held back, knowing the other was going out of their comfort zone tonight, so they should do the same.

It didn't mean Jeff wasn't dreading the torture. Or that Annie didn't wish there was more ambiance. But they were getting used to not getting what they wanted.

Despite the triumph of exposing Cornwallis, the aftermath left something to be desired so far. When Dean Pelton told the other History 101 students their grades were revoked, they instantly knew who was to blame – or at least had six suspects. He didn't say Annie was the one who Cornwallis touched and fixed grades for, but it didn't take long for them to work it out.

The winter break offered the group a safe haven from the controversy – and it helped that Pierce only took half the time to readjust to civilization. But it got harder to ignore the past as they got closer to a new semester. After all, Jeff was never supposed to take that semester, and everyone else was supposed to be in History 102 by now.

Instead, they all returned to a new History 101, where their worst fears came true.

Like Annie figured, Greendale had no choice but to hire a competent, above suspicion professor who knew what he was doing. Somehow, it lured another educated Brit with no history of misconduct to come on board. And after one week, Professor George proved he was up for the job – if the job included breaking their brains.

Annie already had a hard enough time figuring out how to tutor Jeff. Now that the class was actually difficult – even for her – what chance did she have to get him through it? She resigned herself to trying some ideas she had during the break, and see if they worked in practice.

"All right, you're the expert in real studying, how does this work?" Jeff asked.

"Without any distractions," Annie dove in. "There's no group or Greendale to throw us off here. We're going to study, and _only _study, during designated times."

"Designated times? So there _will _be 90 second study breaks, that's a relief," Jeff exhaled.

"Not quite," Annie readied herself. "Jeff, you pretend to like soccer, right?"

"My fake love of the game has been slipping, but go on," Jeff allowed.

"We'll use time like they do. We'll do nothing but study for 40 minutes, but we'll take a 20 minute 'halftime' to talk about other stuff. Then we'll go back to studying for a 40-minute 'second half', do some 'post match' analysis, and then I'll go home," Annie offered.

"Huh. That's not how long halves are, but that's okay. You actually made it better," Jeff praised before Annie could think of adding five more minutes to each half. "40 minutes each of tedious, boring work that most of the world likes doing anyway? You captured the spirit of soccer perfectly."

"Thanks, I guess," Annie beamed a bit.

"You sure you're up for _20 minute_ study breaks?" Jeff tempted before he could stop himself.

"I know it's too long for me. But this isn't about me. Although we are here because of me," Annie added before stopping herself. Either she unintentionally wanted to guilt him, or the glares from the Germans in this week's classes were getting to her.

Still, this wasn't the time to get into that. This was where something good would come out of everything.

"If I want you to do things different, I have to do the same," Annie said as she sat on the couch with her backpack. "But we're going to learn _before _you joke for 20 minutes straight. Okay?" She took Jeff sitting down next to her as an answer, so she announced, "All right, let's get started."

It was a good idea in theory. Of course, with Jeff's attention span and easy boredom, it was harder in practice.

Professor George had focused on the Roman Empire and the reign of Caesar for the first week. Yet when Annie tried to make Jeff remember and analyze it like the professor wanted, he kept getting sidetracked. It was like a regular study session, but more aggravating because Jeff was the only one who wasn't studying.

Yet Annie kept herself on track, and stopped Jeff from sucking her into getting off track. But while Jeff was barely making progress – it was still more than the average group session.

He looked bored, but he at least pretended to pay attention longer than usual. Sometimes it even looked like he _was_ paying attention. When he wasn't, Annie had to snap him out of it, but he did snap out almost right away. And when he joked about something other than the material, he stopped when Annie told him to.

An outsider or another group member might see this and think Jeff wasn't trying. But Annie knew him well enough to know he was – or at least trying to try. That was halfway to progress right there, even if he hadn't learned or remembered much. Yet it was something to go on as their 20 minute break started.

"All right, you want to talk about stuff other than Rome now? Let's get it out of the way," Annie said, hoping she sounded more encouraging than frustrated.

However, Jeff seemed to think it was the latter, which made him answer, "I _am _trying, you know," with sincerity.

"I know, Jeff," Annie admitted. "I didn't expect miracles right away."

"Yeah. If I couldn't do this the first time I could graduate, right?" Jeff tried to poke fun at.

"Don't be that hard on yourself," Annie hoped. "You're just not that into this stuff. You always make an effort at classes you like, and you could just coast through those you didn't. But we can't coast through this one. And you can't challenge Professor George to naked pool, or take down a star student."

"So much for Greendale preparing us for the real world. I always knew that was a….damn it, there it is," Jeff sighed. "I don't have the attention span to be a _real_ student at a _real _class I can't breeze through. I have too much pride and dignity left, somehow!" He then backtracked to assure Annie, "Not that my standards apply to anyone but me!"

"Right, right," Annie took in stride, giving him credit for seeing his mistake himself. "But you're here now, and so am I, and that's half the battle already. For anyone, not just you and me."

"You make a good teacher," Jeff complemented. "Even if I set the bar pretty low for you."

"Beginner's luck, I guess," Annie brushed aside.

"Not really," Jeff said. "You know, I was surprised when you switched majors. Not because you loved health care so much. And I wasn't _that_ shocked you changed your life plan. I just figured if you were gonna choose a new career, it'd be something educational."

"Well, forensics is educational. It teaches the world who criminals and murders are," Annie informed.

"Yeah, but CBS has all kinds of professors for that," Jeff quipped. "I thought you might be a professor like George. Only with lips that move up once in a while." When Annie's lips moved up into a little smile, Jeff added, "Seriously. You love school and learning so much, you never thought about tying the knot with them? Career wise?"

Annie briefly wondered if Abed was the only wizard in the group after all. "I wondered that a few times. But only when I made my lesson plan for you. I never thought about it when I could have done it."

"Why? Did your parents make you think it was beneath you or something?" Jeff asked, never one to pass up a dig at rotten parents.

"Pretty much everything was 'beneath me' to them," Annie remembered. "But I'm the one who stuck with health care longer than I should have. I didn't even think about other majors until Abed gave me the idea. Luckily it was a good idea."

"But if you came up with a career on your own? Would it be in teaching? Or being a principal, maybe?" Jeff asked, trying not to think about Teacher or Principal Annie in other ways.

"I like forensics, Jeff. I can make a real difference there, if I put my whole heart in it. And I want to," Annie explained. "And teaching….wouldn't make me as big as I want to be. Not right away," She sighed and realized, "I guess that still makes me selfish."

"No. You'd be selfish if you just wanted to be big for you. You just said you could make a real difference in forensics. Selfish people don't think like that, trust me," Jeff assured.

"I guess you'd know. Or you think you do," Annie teased. She thought it over some more and amended. "But I don't think I'd just settle down after my big career. Or after I had kids who were all grown up. I don't like doing nothing _now, _so how do you think I'd be when I'm 60 or 70?"

"Alive, that's a good start right there," Jeff said jokingly and seriously.

"And restless," Annie added. "Maybe if I still had to be useful, I _could g_o into teaching when I'm old. Or even be a guidance councilor," she said as she got lost in thought. "I'd have the star power to work anywhere I wanted then. And if they needed credentials anyway, I could go back to school and get some. Or just take something at Greendale!"

"Oh God, Greendale's still standing in 50 years? Clearly you're the only one out for justice in the future. To a point," Jeff groaned.

"Well, if 'justice' is done by then, I'll just go back to high school," Annie offered, then began to really smile. "I think I'd like that by then. Being an authority figure who _actually _helps and saves students _before _they go crazy. Guiding kids to be better than I was, showing them it _does _get better….that's the opposite of how I started my life. It makes it sound like the perfect way to end it."

"But just at the end?" Jeff double checked.

"Yeah. Just then," Annie sighed. "I still want a bigger career first. And I'm not brave enough to go near high school again for a long time." She soon admitted, "Plus I'm not a role model troubled kids should follow. Not yet, anyway. I've got a lot to do until I'm _really _that good enough."

"Annie, do you need me to remind you how good you are now? That was the other part of our deal," Jeff reminded.

"No, that's fine. I'm being realistic, not hard on myself," Annie stated. "I'm not a big time detective now, or someone who has a right to guide teenagers. But I'm gonna be. And I'm gonna do it right."

"So that's what that looks like, then," Jeff quipped.

"Okay then, how about you? Is there anything else you wanted to do? Before you went with fake lawyering?" Annie challenged. "You must have wanted to be something else at some point. Other than a Real World housemate."

"Right, there are consequences to sharing my past with you. Thanks for reminding me," Jeff said.

"Jeff, I'm not filming this. And there's strict tutor/student confidentiality in here. You can trust me," Annie promised.

"You know, if I'd rather get back to studying, doesn't that mean I'm making progress? You should be pretty damn proud of me now," Jeff smirked.

"You just had to put a catch in there, didn't you?" Annie rolled her eyes. But break time was almost over by then, so it was time to get back to work. However, they both seemed more at ease after that talk, even as Jeff kept struggling.

Annie was a little easier on Jeff, after he'd let her get her hopes and dreams off her chest. Yet they were supposed to have gotten all non-study topics out of their system by now. Instead, her mind wandered to Jeff a few times instead of the material – so she kind of knew what it was like to be in his mindset.

Wait. Jeff relating and listening to something better when it was about himself. There was an idea in there somewhere.

After going through her textbook and analyzing the Romans again, she found it.

"Jeff, I've got it! I know how to make you focus!" Annie announced. "You like thinking about you a lot more than these people! But some of them _are _like you! And me! And all of us, to a point!' Before Jeff could stop frowning, Annie turned to the pages on Julius Caesar.

"Everyone in Rome looked up to Caesar. He commanded a room, ruled over his own little world and thought he was above it all. But he was betrayed by those closest to him, and suffered the worst fate imaginable. He kind of deserved it, but he didn't deserve a fate _that _cruel. Does that sound familiar to you, Jeff?" Annie wondered.

She knew it would, but she waited for Jeff to figure it out himself. When he seemed to get it, he looked in the book and asked, "So _Alan _is Brutus, then?"

"No, I see him more like Cassius. Ted was on your side, but he stuck the final knife in your back by firing you. That makes him Brutus. And Marc Anthony is like a much, _much _more competent Dean who can give real public speeches."

"But I'm the one in charge of him? I mean, Caesar?" Jeff made sure. "Okay, I like this already. King of the world is one thing, but _that _would have been fun."

"But like I said, Caesar wasn't as cool as he thought he was," Annie qualified. "He did a lot of rotten things for his own good. And he wasn't the most democratic leader either."

Before Jeff could object to that, she corrected, "But he was a hero to other people too. He had greatness that he didn't use for himself _all _the time. And if he could have lived _and _not been a dictator anymore, I'm sure a flexible, lovable Senate could have helped him see who he really was. Maybe they'd even give him his job back after four years. Or three and a half with some creativity."

"So Caesar wasn't just one thing or another," Jeff realized. "Well, he did get a lot of famous girls, so that counts for something." He then dared to ask, "Are you Cleopatra in this story?"

"What? Um, well….probably not," Annie stammered before thinking it over. "She was bitten by a snake, but that's not like crashing through a window. Besides, I don't see myself with the Dean after you're gone."

"Yeah, we can give Britta that little gift," Jeff teased.

With that, Annie found the key to making Jeff learn – make it about him. There were no shortage of guys somewhat like him throughout history, albeit much more extreme. But Annie could soften that up like she did with Caesar, or at least she hoped so.

As they went on, Annie found other Romans that bore parallels to their friends – or at least could be twisted around to look like parallels. Yet when they found their friends' Roman counterparts, Annie didn't let them get sidetracked. She kept them on topic with the Romans, and the more Jeff compared them to himself and the group, the more he started to understand.

He was beginning to make actual observations on the era, its leaders and what they should or shouldn't have done – or could have accomplished with paintball and Winger speeches. To her surprise, Annie even found that it cleared a few things up for her as well. They were learning history from a new angle and were making it stick in their head – all through the power of ego.

Their 40 minute second half even stretched into a few minutes of extra time, until Jeff came to his senses. However, Annie made sure Jeff wrote down what he learned before she let him relax.

While he recovered, she peeked ahead to the next few topics/eras on their syllabus, working out how they could use this strategy next. She was particularly looking forward to the Elizabethan era – and the seemingly pure, constantly attacked but historically triumphant queen at the center.

When it was time to go home, Annie gathered her books and gave Jeff final instructions. "You make sure to look over this stuff at least twice this weekend. We'll review it again to start Friday's session, then we'll go over next week's material just like this."

"Homework on a weekend. It took four years, but Greendale's now just equally as bad as high school," Jeff mocked.

"Luckily your standards just apply to you, then," Annie retorted. She got up and headed for the door, leaving Jeff with the sudden impulse to make a better ending.

"The opposite of my dad," Jeff blurted out. "I know, I've wanted to be that all my life. But when I was eight, I actually thought I could make a living at it. When I knew he wouldn't come back, I wanted to be a cop so I could bust him. Then an IRS agent. Then a rich guy so I could entrap him in one of his cons. There was…..there was even one day I wanted to be a husband and father who wouldn't leave his family."

He broke eye contact with Annie as he gathered himself to say," But then the lawyers came the next day, and that looked a hell of a lot easier. I haven't wanted to be anything else ever since. Not for a career, anyway."

Annie's heart crumbled, both at hearing about young Jeff and seeing present Jeff be this open. She almost wanted to tell him not to give up on the husband and father dream – but coming from her, it might sound questionable.

Instead, she settled on, "You make a living out of it every day, Jeff. At least on your good days. But I know eight-year-old Jeff would be so happy that he became you."

"You mean the eight-year-old who saw those lawyers?" Jeff asked, despite knowing deep down that she didn't.

"Yeah, him too," Annie said off hand. Yet Jeff still smiled in tandem with Annie, in a way they hadn't done too often since the convention. But it was still so familiar, reassuring and comforting, in ways that nothing else had been for either of them deep down.

"That tutor/student confidentiality extends to not telling Britta, right? At least about postgame stuff," Jeff had to ask.

"You never told her that?" Annie sounded more surprised than she intended – among other emotions.

"Her, anyone else, same difference," Jeff tried to be light about.

"Well, I won't tell either of them," Annie recovered. "You don't have to worry about it. That's one less distraction from re-reading your notes."

"All right, by that logic you should _really _get out of here," Jeff let slip. After the roll they'd been on, _of course _he had to push it too far and make it awkward now. If it was that embarrassing. Or even a lie.

Before that thought really sunk in, Annie bailed him out and agreed, "Okay, I'll let you start your next study break alone." She opened the door, turned back and closed with, "Good night, Milord Caesar."

Jeff exhaled and barely held back a chuckle at the same time. But he couldn't hold back a soft smile as he answered, "Good night, Milady," without a need to give her any other name.

When Annie closed the door behind her and headed down the hall, she let herself smile over her success – and her other moments with Jeff. Other moments that could almost be read as….

….something they weren't. At least something that wasn't worth assuming about now. After this rough first week back, she didn't need this one win to have asterisks.

Hopefully the next 14 weeks would be that easy to salvage.


	6. Chapter 6

_One week later_

Annie sat down in the library after classes on Friday, wanting some time to herself. She needed to do some studying for forensics class, and go over her lesson plan for Jeff tonight. Since it was harder than she thought to find Jeff's ancient Greek equivalent, she'd need to get creative.

Between that and her own struggles with History 101, she didn't need any distractions from the others. Just some rare time to herself and she would get back on track.

"Great, _you're _here," she heard, shattering her hopes off the bat.

Annie looked to see one of her many unhappy, non-study group classmates from History 101. "Hello, Walt," she greeted him, hoping that would be that.

"So I guess the rest of them are coming too," he sighed.

"No, just me. You can get some real studying done here," Annie assured.

"Like I need it that much? Is that you looking down on me?" Walt accused.

Annie bit back a gasp, which gave her time to use a more composed response. "Okay, so why else are you here? Are you just here to attack me? Even when you thought the others would join me?" she wondered.

"Like Hell I can say anything with them near you. I don't need to suffer _more _because of your group. This class is too hard for me to get distracted by your crap!" Walt groaned.

Annie made herself ignore most of that answer, and focused on ending this faster. "If the class is too hard, I guess you _are _here to study. That's all you had to say. Go on and do that, I won't bother you. I promise," she said diplomatically.

"You already bothered me. You bothered all of us by getting our grades thrown out!" Walt called out. "I didn't want to say anything with your friends around, but if they're really not coming…."

"You know I'll just tell on you if you make me mad or sad," Annie countered. "Then our 'crap' will _really _distract you. So please, just study in peace and let me do the same. We both have better things to do than fight."

"I had better things to do than take this class again. At least this harder class," Walt said anyway. "You know what, I don't care if you tell. It's worth it to say this once, on behalf of all of us."

"Really? _All_ of you?" Annie challenged.

"Well, it's enough!" Walt corrected. "We were passing with Cornwallis there. Now I'm going to flunk out and not graduate for sure. I knew your group was toxic, but I didn't think _you _were the biggest poison! If anyone was gonna slut it up for grades, I thought it'd be Winger or the bimbo."

"Hey, don't call…._her _a bimbo! Or him?" Annie settled on, not wanting to jump to conclusions on anyone's bimbo-hood. Not like he was. "And it was Cornwallis's idea to touch me, not mine."

"Only because you needed test answers. If you weren't such a suck-up trying to throw our grade curve off, you wouldn't have gone there and he wouldn't get the idea. But you did and we're all getting screwed, not just you!" Walt stated.

Annie had so much to object to – but there were some things she couldn't correct. Everyone agreed that they shouldn't say Annie got her feet touched for Jeff's grade. So to keep him out of the crossfire – and keep Annie from being called Jeff-crazy – they used her original cover story once everyone figured out her involvement.

To everyone else, Cornwallis bribed and manipulated Annie with test answers, and she couldn't stop him – until she came forward with the truth on her own. It distorted and left out a few things, but it was the best bad option they had. And even that was being twisted by a bitter classmate.

"He didn't…._screw _me," Annie finally answered. "Even if he had, it'd still be _his _fault."

"And now it's your fault we're gonna fail and be stuck here longer," Walt added.

"You know, if you really needed help, and you asked nicely, and I wasn't so swamped, I _might _have helped you," Annie built herself up to say. "I never wanted to hurt you, or anyone else! I never do!"

"Funny how you're selfish enough to keep doing it. Even all by yourself. I guess they taught you well," Walt sneered. "You know what, you keep this place. I can't study with a grade whore around. And you've screwed us all up enough as it is."

Walt had the good sense to leave right away, as fury and sadness swept through Annie. But when he was gone and Annie couldn't take her fury out on him, the sadness started to take over. Yet Annie didn't want to give him – or the part of her that almost believed him – the satisfaction of crying over his insults. Or how true they sounded to part of her.

She tried to study and work, but she had to hold back tears more than once, although they didn't break through. Yet she spent enough time trying not to cry, she couldn't remember some of the material during her walk to the parking lot. That alone made Annie ready to cry once she got into her car.

Yet before she got there and let it all out, she heard another voice interrupt her thoughts. This time, it was a female voice that sounded in awe when it said, "Are you Annie?"

Annie looked around until she saw a blonde girl with glasses in the parking lot, who looked even shorter than she was. She also had a shy look of wonder on her face – like Jeff's adoring Annie look on steroids. Annie shook off that disturbing mental image and said, "Um….yes, I'm Annie. Can I help you?"

"You already have. You helped all of us," the girl exclaimed. "My name's Brie and I'm…._such_ a huge fan. You don't know what an honor this is."

"I can honestly say I don't," Annie said honestly.

"Well, you should. All my friends think that," Brie explained. "You exposed a pervert professor and stood up for all women at Greendale. Every self-respecting feminist here thinks you're a hero, including me."

"You do?" Annie was temporary wowed, but then questioned, "Then why am I hearing that _now_? I know none of you are in my class, that's for sure."

"Well, it's hard for real feminists to be out in the open at Greendale," Brie stated.

"Because you don't want Britta to find out and join you?" Annie sighed and guessed.

"Wow, you _are _a bigger genius in person," Brie cheered. "But even with that threat, we'd be willing to praise you in public. If she was sick or too high to notice. But even then, it might be worth the risk! You're _that _inspirational to us!"

"I am?" Annie was nearly wowed again.

"Of course you are. You overcame drugs, set the bar for female students everywhere, and we don't resent you for that anymore _now_!" Brie praised. "And when that sicko touched you, you didn't stay quiet, even for an A! You took him down and did it for all of us!"

"That's….what you think?" Annie got thrown off a bit.

"It's the truth. You're the smartest, most virtuous woman Greendale ever got lucky to have. But we all lucked out. Even if no one else thinks so, we do. You're….well, like I said, you're our hero. And mine," Brie declared, then nearly reached out to hug her before holding back. "I'm sorry, that was too forward! I'm not him, I swear!" she promised.

"No, it's okay, I know that. Do whatever you'd like," Annie offered.

Brie nervously came up to her again, then settled on offering her hand. When Annie took it, she gasped and said in awe, "Annie Edison is shaking my hand…." before impulsively hugging her. Yet she quickly backed away in panic.

"No, no, I'm not mad! It's fine, I'm a hugger myself, I get it," Annie chuckled. "Thank you. And tell your friends….thank you for seeing me that way."

"I will," Brie promised. "Thank you….for being you. And being so brave and awesome for all of us." She practically squealed, but contained herself somewhat as she left the parking lot.

Annie watched her go, then got into her car and didn't start crying like she planned. She certainly didn't feel like it anymore. Not after seeing how inspiring she was to strangers.

And yet she wasn't as giddy and relieved as she should have been. The more she didn't feel that way, the more disturbed she was – even when she arrived at Jeff's apartment that night.

It kept bothering her during the first half of the study session, although it was a time to study and nothing more. They were having a hard enough time that Annie should have been laser focused to fix it, but she wasn't. She was even distracted in the first few minutes of their break – which made her realize she might as well talk about it before Jeff noticed.

"Apparently I have fans," Annie started, deciding to leave out the enemies part. Since they were too busy and afraid to risk the group's wrath, it wasn't worth sending Jeff after them. Not for the moment.

"So there _is _an Annie Edison fan club. As a charter member, do I have to vet them?" Jeff asked.

"No, they're qualified. They're just intense. And flattering," Annie admitted, then delved into the uncomfortable part. "And maybe kind of wrong."

"Well, that doesn't sound promising," Jeff anticipated.

"Jeff, they think I was a hero," Annie stated "I didn't do _any _of it for heroic reasons. Hell, if you hadn't questioned Cornwallis, I don't think I'd have ever exposed him."

"Maybe, maybe not, but we covered it up as best we could. Right?" Jeff questioned.

"Like I'd tell a feminist I let him touch me to save a _man's _grades. I may not be a hero, but I don't want to look _that _bad. Whether it's true or not," Annie said.

"Well, they sound better than other misguided people," Jeff offered, making Annie wonder how much he knew about Walt or his other classmates. But when Jeff didn't follow up and Annie thought about his statement, she had her next realization.

"I don't know if they _do _sound better," Annie figured out. "They're just bothwrong about me."

"You got it half right, I guess that's progress," Jeff reasoned.

"Jeff, don't look at it like that," Annie insisted.

"I could say the same to you," Jeff said. "Annie, you've listened to morons trash you all your life. You've earned hearing the opposite for the rest of it. No matter what they made you think."

"They're just one extreme, Jeff. People who think I'm this pure, innocent hero are another," Annie figured out. "And you know what? You've been both ever since I've known you!"

"Okay, there's the not promising part," Jeff sighed.

"Don't deny it, Jeff. Since the day we've met, you've either seen me as some sweet, fragile, way too innocent woman, or some type A, neurotic, grade obsessed school girl. You dismiss me as one negative, extreme version of who I am, then you build me up as some extreme saint! You and everyone I've ever met either sees me as one, the other or both, and I'm tired of it!" Annie declared.

"So you're _tired _of me telling you you're great?" Jeff took offense. "Just because I was too stupid to say it earlier?"

"I didn't need you for that, Jeff. I built enough of an ego on my own," Annie set up. "I was…._am_, so obsessed with being the best. And I believed it more than I should. You know what that's like," she pointed out to Jeff. "And when I haven't believed I was the best, I believed people who said I was a naïve, crazy, deluded girl. Like you from two years ago," she landed at Jeff again.

"Annie, if this is about…." Jeff began to address, but couldn't finish. Yet Annie wasn't asking him to.

"I've got to believe I'm something in between. Something I can live with. But how can I believe that when no one else does?" Annie asked rhetorically. "I know I'm not a grade obsessed child anymore. But I know I'm not some flawless angel either. And you don't have to treat me like I am to make up for anything, like you've been doing."

"I'm not making up for anything. Not….completely," Jeff defended. "I think it's the truth. I wish you could just believe you _are _that good."

"I wish I could feel like I am, I do," Annie admitted. "But the kind of good you and those feminists say I am….it's as unreal as the other stuff. I can't be one or the other, like I've been my whole life. And I don't want to be seen that way anymore, good or bad," Annie zeroed in on.

"I don't want to be treated like a perfect genius hero. Or a type A, selfish grade whore. I just wish everyone could see and treat me like….Annie," Annie concluded. "Like….maybe that's enough."

Annie exhaled, feeling somewhat relieved in spite of it all. But it had been building up for so long – perhaps even before Cornwallis – that it felt nice to get it out there. Especially to someone who was actually listening to her, and not dismissing her.

Indeed, Jeff was doing the opposite of dismissing her. In fact, for the first time in 26 years, he wished he wasn't Jeff Winger. Otherwise, he could tell Annie that being her had always been enough, and it would have been believable coming from him.

But from Jeff, it sadly wasn't believable. Not after years of believing, and then lying to himself, that she just wasn't enough – no matter what extreme he thought she was. Which was ironic, in a way.

When he saw how ironic it was, however, he had a response ready.

"Okay. You don't want me to be easy on you anymore, fine," Jeff started. "You _are _capable of being the most obsessed, selfish, deluded person I've ever met. But that doesn't mean you always are. And you're capable of _not _being the most caring, smart, insightful, selfless and courageous person I've ever met. But _that _doesn't mean you always are."

Annie displayed the tiniest little smile, so Jeff knew he was on to something. "If you were just grade crazy and delusional, you'd drive me crazy like Britta. If you were just sweet and wholesome, there's no way I could stand you, don't you think?"

When Annie admitted as much with a giggle, Jeff concluded, "See? If you weren't _all _those things….if you weren't _Annie_….you'd never be this….important to me. Not enough to do all this, anyway," he gestured to their books and notes. "Is that sort of what you're looking for?"

Annie ran through her criteria in her head, then smiled and conceded, "It sure sets the bar high enough."

"Okay. So if I want to set it higher, _don't _praise you all the time. That's the new rule?" Jeff checked.

"Praise me if you _must_," Annie rolled her eyes. "Just within reason. You don't have to treat me with kid gloves, so to speak. I know this isn't easy for you, so don't suck up to me to hide it."

"Should I say anything to people who do? Or don't?" Jeff asked wearily.

Annie knew she shouldn't let him, but he'd still want to be useful anyway. So she split the difference by saying, "Just be available for me if they get too loud. I mean, if you can. I know you have other things to do that aren't about me."

"I promise," Jeff said anyway. "I'm doing _this _every Friday night, what's one more little job?"

Jeff wondered if that was going too far – although not being too easy on her was the point. After being harder on her longer than he should have – or just not _completely_ honest – he wasn't sure what was too over the line or not. However, Annie nodded and smiled, adding, "Okay, if _that's _how you see it," with obvious teasing.

Both of them exhaled for different reasons, then Annie proposed, "All right. If I want you to see me as annoying _and_ amazing….we should probably get back to studying."

"Yep, that'd do it," Jeff credited.

Although they found it easier to study after their break again, they didn't have a big breakthrough this time. Nevertheless, Annie felt more free and reassured, regardless of how their studying went – which was a big breakthrough on its own.

Yet as History 101 2.0 went on, forensics classes went on and the group's extra-curricular adventures interfered like always, Annie was pretty swamped. But that really was the same as usual – only with harder work in some cases.

At the least, Walt and the others soon hated Professor George too much to focus on Annie before long. And when Annie told Britta about the other devoted feminists in Greendale, they got too distracted themselves.

Annie sure didn't feel like the best on some days. But her small victories with Jeff, the big adventures that swept the Cornwallis mess away, and having one final semester with all her best friends made it somewhat okay. Little by little, things were becoming okay again.

At least they were for one of them.


	7. Chapter 7

Jeff tried to think it would all work out. Comparing himself to Caesar in the first week should have set a good tone. Combined with Annie's usual dark magic that made him believe in lame, impossible things - for a second at the most - it gave him a safe little bubble. For about a week.

Then it got harder to find himself among ancient Greek philosophers, Queen Elizabeth times, and half the other stupid history times. Even if he could have focused to do it, and the other stuff Annie told him, he was just too exhausted for it to stick.

Jeff knew that was ridiculous, even for him. He had only one class every day, so he should have been more rested than usual. But this was a real class, which wasn't helpful enough. It also didn't help that the group's adventures wrecked the rest of his free time, even more than ever.

Now Troy and Britta were starting adventures as a real couple for more than a few weeks, which caused too much chaos to keep track of. Now Abed was actually finding a new 'friend' in that Rachel girl, which didn't seem so bad - but that first impression she made by being shocked that he and Annie weren't a couple was too much.

On top of that, Pierce decided at the very last second to return this semester. First it was too heartbreaking for Jeff to focus, then he felt guilty about it after their bonding last semester - and that was 10 times more earth shattering.

Then they got around to finding out the truth about "Kevin" and that was...too traumatizing and stupid to dreg up.

In any case, they were so overstuffed with madness in such a limited time, it was too much for Jeff to clean up _and _be a real student. The others knew how to keep that balance by now, and Annie sure knew how - although she was looking overworked lately, even for her. Yet Jeff wasn't at the level of a slightly off her game Annie, and never would be.

But the papers, studying and more overblown than usual antics Just. Kept. Coming. And there was still no guarantee Jeff would pass at the end. Then he'd be doomed to another year of this rapidly declining saga, although he would have been quite happy to end it after four years.

Five years was just overkill – and he could just hear Abed's taunting voice when he thought about six years. This was supposed to end much earlier, when Jeff was on top. Yet here he was, dragging it out even more and erasing any greatness he still had left. Why couldn't he have just quit while he still had a legacy and a real future to protect?

Of course Jeff knew why. And of course it made him mad that he couldn't be mad about it - not without being a monster. That hardly helped him get through each week any better, but there it was.

Annie told him he didn't have to hold back with her, just to make her feel better. As such, Jeff just praised her a little less and made some mild pokes at her studying. But what the old Jeff wanted to do was something far harsher.

The more he had to go through this rotten semester he never should have started – and the more the chances for another semester got better – the more Jeff wanted to take it out on someone. Yet there was only one real target other than himself. No matter if she was a legitimate target or not.

For all of that, Jeff didn't want her to be. Not when she actually taught him something that stuck. Not when she made him laugh during a study break. Not when she looked more worn out with every Friday night. Not when she still took a more active role in their adventures, or helped stop the great Troy/Britta vs Abed/Rachel curtain war of spring break 2013, or started to get mere A-'s.

And the memories of how this all started – and how Annie ended it on the Cornwallis front – played no small part in holding Jeff back too. They reminded him why this was worth it, and why this would never be tolerable with anyone other than her.

Nevertheless, even they could only do so much.

There were now three weeks left until the final that would settle Jeff's fate. He was on the borderline of passing again, albeit on the right side of it this time for now. As encouraging as Annie made that sound, it still meant Jeff would have to cram more than usual to finish the job.

Yet Jeff had already suffered through 12 weeks of cramming, time consuming adventures, and other Greendale nonsense he never should have been part of. Now his only reward was three much more worse weeks, with no guarantee that they'd be the last three weeks. How was he supposed to suffer through that in silence, just for Annie?

He'd already done more than enough just for Annie – if anyone asked Jeff except his exhausted brain.

But that brain still had enough power to point out that it had nothing on Annie's.

As terrible as this was for Jeff, Annie's experience had to be 10 times worse. He didn't hear the other classmates blame her and not Cornwallis for this mess – which was why they were still alive – but he could sense it. He saw her put a brave face over her less than perfect grades, although he knew they were killing her. He saw her nearly nod off in a class for the first time in history.

And yet here she was, trying to actually teach him. As unteachable as Jeff was, Annie kept coming back every Friday, putting aside her own problems, and powering through just for him.

As much cause as she might have to give up, she never did. Why start now after three-and-a-half years?

Against all logic, Annie just never gave up on him. Surely that made her too naive to live, which is exactly what Jeff would have thought two years ago. But by now, this couldn't be her seeing things that weren't there. She knew exactly what he was and how...deficient he was in some areas. Yet regardless, she kept trying.

She kept accepting his problems, working around them and making this nonsense...semi-fun every few weeks. And despite the setbacks, she kept believing in him.

She kept building him up without overpraising him and his ego, and she kept coming back. Who did any of that for Jeff in his whole life? Who else did he know with the capacity for that?

It was almost enough to make him think...well, if it was possible, he might...

Well, if he could do...that, who else could he do it for?

Who else if not for someone that got herself get foot rubbed for Jeff's grade...then came forward and ruined it anyway? And put him here because of it?

All that devotion, faith and love - _like_ – and that was what it got her and him? Well...that made sense, now that Jeff thought more clearly.

Of course it did. That's what doing that crap always did. She should have figured that out long ago - and he should have made her. At least a lot more than he did.

And look where he was now because of it, when he should have been clearing guilty people and banging women around the block right this second. When he should have been happy doing only that. When he should have still been happy thinking about that stuff at all!

"Come on, Jeff, you know this!" Annie interrupted his thinking. "You know where Robert E. Lee went wrong, because that's where Pierce would have gone wrong. This should be easy for you."

It should be, but it wasn't. And that alone showed why it never would be. There were only so many times Jeff could stand to remember that, and that was just about the last one.

To make that statement, he closed his textbooks and put them away, choosing to just sit on the couch in silence. "Jeff, study break's not for another 10 minutes," Annie tried to rub in.

"What's 10 more minutes going to do?" Jeff said with some of his old snark.

"It might help you remember the Civil War better. If it's part of the final, you might really need it," Annie said.

"I'll watch the movies like Abed does. It works for him," Jeff offered.

"Yes, but as we all know, none of us are Abed," Annie exclaimed. "The only thing that'll work for us is actual studying."

"Works for you. And as we all know, I'm not you. I think it's time you got that through your head," Jeff got bitter sooner than he wanted. But there was no coming back from that now.

"Jeff, you're telling me things I already know. I'm trying to teach you things you_ don't_ know, and need to know. Which sounds more productive to you?" Annie tried to keep calm.

"None of the above. Which is what I should be doing. And I'd be doing it if it wasn't for..." Jeff still had the sense to avoid finishing. As if that hid it any better from Annie.

"For what?" she pressed anyway. "Go on, Jeff, finish it. What are you blaming for this?"

"_Who!_ It's who - I mean, you!" Jeff couldn't stop from saying. "I'm wasting away every Friday night, and still wasting away in Greendale, because of you!"

Annie gave her trademark gasp, but there was more of an edge to it this time. It sounded more angry and betrayed before it got sad. But before the sadness could throw Jeff off like usual, Annie clenched her jaw and said, "You really want us to blame people instead of studying? Are you sure you want to do that with _me_?"

"If it's not studying, I'm good. Some of us in the real world like doing other things. Some of us accept that people don't want to do other things," Jeff explained. "And some of us leave well enough alone instead of getting foot rubbed for _someone else's_ grades. What kind of sick person does that? That's what you'd be hearing from all of Greendale if it wasn't for me, so that's really all I owe you!"

If that made Annie look ready to cry, as it might have at any other time, Jeff would have taken it all back by now. Instead, she was boiling over enough herself to up the ante.

"Actually, there's one more thing you owe me. An explanation for why the hell you were failing to begin with! What kind of person goes to all that effort to leave early, then shows none of it when it really counts? Only Jeff Winger, that's who! You're the second biggest reason this all happened, and look where we both are now!" Annie let out.

"We both are? Oh, you're as bad off as me because you don't have A's? Newsflash, neither does most of the world! Come join us once in a while, it won't kill you! The water's fine, as long as your pathological former comrades don't screw us over!" Jeff exploded.

"Where do you think you'd be without us? I mean, me?" Annie responded. "If I never knew you were failing, you'd have failed anyway. Then you'd be exactly where you are now, only without me trying to bail you out again! Then you'd really be screwed!"

"I wasn't screwed until you came along. I was happy. I liked who I was until you tried to fix me into hating it!" Jeff accused. "You manipulated me into trying, and it still didn't help me. Just like I always knew it didn't. I knew that all along, and you can't make me forget it forever."

"I wasn't...well, not anymore I'm not!" Annie sputtered, then recovered a little. "Jeff, what the hell are you doing? I know I'm trying to save you and do it right this time."

"I don't need saving. I never wanted saving! I'm Jeff Winger, why should I want that?" Jeff regressed. "I'm not the student or man you're trying to model me into, and I never will be! Why don't you ever accept that and let me live my life, the way I've loved living it? Why ruin the only way that's ever worked for me, and ever will work?"

"This isn't about...whatever the hell you're talking about. It's about your grade, and getting you out of Greendale. At least it's supposed to be," Annie reminded. "It's what you've wanted for four whole years. It's what I accepted a lot later than I should have! It's what I went through hell trying to save! _Twice_! Now I'm helping you, even when it's tearing me apart for so many reasons, and you yell at me?"

"I didn't want any of it, don't you get it?" Jeff kept insisting.

"Yes you did! God, it was your idea, remember? All this studying you hate so much was _your _idea, not mine!" Annie recalled.

"Like I had any choice after you did...that stuff! Like you ever leave me any choice. You'd rather fill my head with delusions and fantasies that'll never happen. Me being a good student, me ever escaping Greendale, me being anything other than who I am? We've proven none of it will ever happen, so get it out of your head! And let me get it out of mine while I still have some self-respect!" Jeff demanded.

As Annie struggled with her next counter argument, she realized a few things from Jeff's last rant. "Where did 'I'm not anything other than who I am' come from?" she asked.

"It's the truth. If you'd remember that yourself, maybe I'd stop forgetting it," Jeff accused.

"I make you forget it?" Annie followed up with, her voice and face getting softer again.

"Something does," Jeff admitted. "I don't like trying at things. But here I am trying and it's still not enough. I don't like questioning who I am and who I want to be, but I keep doing it and it sucks. Even when I do things I don't want to do because of it, it blows up in my face. Then I go back to who I really am after a week or two anyway, so it's even more pointless."

Annie had no reply to Jeff for the first time in minutes, so he just went on. "It's been like that for four years. So I should know by now. Every time I'm something I'm not, it screws me over. That should tell me to stop doing things that make me fail, make me lame or just make me...not me."

Annie was ready to speak again, yet Jeff wasn't ready to stop. "I don't want to stop being me. If I wasn't...me, I'd have been ruined and broken long before Greendale broke me. It's too late to fix that. I can't be what you need me to be, and trying makes it worse. I don't want it, I shouldn't want it, I suck at it, so let me stop. I don't want it."

"Jeff..." Annie said, her voice more gentle than in this whole conversation. Yet that only made it worse for Jeff.

"I said I don't want it!" he proclaimed, before grabbing his textbook and symbolically slamming it to the floor. Somehow, that snapped him out of it a bit, as he noted, "Wow, that was kind of stupid."

"I wouldn't use those words," Annie said, fighting through her worry to try and extend this lighter moment. She even thought she saw a flicker of a smile from Jeff, then it disappeared.

But it didn't transform into a frown again. It was like something more...shell shocked.

"I just yelled I didn't want it, like I was in an Abed or Rachel parody. That should have made me stop wanting it. But..." he trailed off before looking at Annie.

"What did I do now?" she asked to get ahead of the crisis.

"Nothing. You didn't Disney me, trick me or do something Jeff-crazy. I just looked at you, you tried to make a joke...and you didn't run away when I got nuts," Jeff recalled. "That's all it took to calm me down...it was just seeing you. I know how stupid it all is, but you..."

Annie dared to get closer to Jeff as he kneeled down, then looked at her right at eye level. "I put you ahead of graduating. I put up with studying for you, and you didn't even make me. You don't force me to try...not on purpose. Not all the time anymore."

"Is that...telling you something?" Annie tried to ask calmly.

"Just crazy things. If they are crazy," Jeff revealed. "Nutty stuff like...I _want _to do things for you, even when you don't force me. Or stuff like...all this nonsense might be good if it makes you proud of me and makes you feel better. That I want people to be proud of me, even if it doesn't boost my ego. Or just..."

He then laughed bitterly and fondly at the same time and finished, "Here's the really crazy theory. What if _I _can't get _you_ out of my system? Why else would I do all this stuff that's...not supposed to be me?"

"Do you think you're obsessed, like I was? Like I..." Annie shakily said, not wanting to consider how she might have ended that.

"That's not you. Not deep down. But me..." Jeff couldn't finish either.

Instead of using words, Jeff kept going by standing straight up and reaching for Annie's face. When he touched her cheek, Annie took a deep breath, then frowned as if she was fighting off something. But Jeff looked like he was done fighting.

At least that's how it looked then.

In one second, he leaned his face closer to hers. In the next, he turned it and his body to the right, walking out of his own apartment without missing a beat or thinking a conscious thought.

But he wasn't the only one who couldn't think right now. He was just the only one who could move or leave his apartment.


	8. Chapter 8

It took five minutes for Annie to think straight again. It took five more to move from her spot in Jeff's apartment.

She wanted to ignore what Jeff looked like he'd do before he left. She wanted to brush aside whether she wanted him to do it. She wanted to avoid asking if it was good or healthy to want it.

Annie had lost her mind too much over things like that. This was not the time to resume old habits. At least not until she got home and she could try to sleep first.

So she opened the front door and prepared to leave – until she saw Jeff coming back.

Annie still couldn't speak. Yet this time it was due to his timing, and him coming back to begin with. But it was his apartment, so of course he'd be back. He probably figured she'd have left by now, like a normal person would.

With that realization, Annie finally left the apartment and let Jeff in. And yet he then seemed to signal Annie to come back in.

Of course he wasn't using his words – he probably ran out of them in that tirade. But it wasn't like Annie was brave enough to use words now. Yet maybe he'd break first if she came back in.

Before Annie could second guess her blind faith, she found herself going back inside. Nevertheless, no one broke the silence yet. Jeff merely sat back on the couch, and Annie instinctively sat next to him, yet the silent treatment continued.

Annie should have been angry for so many reasons, and Jeff would have usually shut down by now. However, Annie didn't sense he was shutting down, and she didn't feel angry either. She just felt an equal amount of...nerves and fear on both sides.

Of all the ways they could finally be on the same page. It made a sick amount of sense.

"So that wasn't as bad as the Tranny kiss. I came back within three months this time, if you noticed. But I didn't kiss you before I ran away, so...there goes that theory," Jeff worked out to break the ice.

"I wasn't thinking about it that way. Somehow," Annie tried to joke. The silence returned for another minute until Jeff broke it again.

"I didn't mean any of it. Not the stuff before I spiked the book," Jeff explained. Yet Annie didn't look convinced, because she wasn't. When Jeff realized that, he amended, "Okay, I'll try again. I don't like that I meant it."

"Are you sure?" Annie asked, wanting to make sure he was on the level before this went further.

However, Jeff had a look that seemed to ask her "Of course I am, don't you know me better than that?" Annie wished a tiny part of her still wasn't that sure about him. But it wasn't like that was all her fault.

Jeff then spoke out loud with, "I'm sure that I should be failing. I'm only this close to getting out of here because of you. You gave me that, and..." he trailed off to regather his thoughts. What he finally came up with was, "It made me want to sabotage things. Like I always do."

"What do you think you were sabotaging, Jeff?" Annie made herself ask.

"My happiness," he answered quicker than any of them expected. "It's what I do. Why else am I like this?"

"I think I need more to go on before I can tell you," Annie encouraged him, despite her instincts to either be afraid, or dream of a fairy tale answer.

"Every time I find something that can make me happy, I have to ruin it. At least I ruin things that aren't supposed to make me happy. It's how I'm wired," Jeff explained.

"Then what's the study group, Jeff? I know it proves your whole theory wrong, but what do you think?" Annie challenged.

"That's different. I'm talking about stuff that would...make anyone other than me happy. Stuff that makes them so happy, they wouldn't care how much it changed them. Stuff that people like you want, not people like me," Jeff said, then kept going before Annie could object.

"I'm not supposed to deserve it or want it. So I ignore, push away or just cut out anything that tells me different. I did it to you tonight and more times than I can count. And I did it to..." Jeff got blocked up.

"That perfect girl who had a kid?" Annie guessed at. Jeff remained blocked up, so it looked like a good guess. "But that was before Greendale, right?" she asked, trying to ignore what she might feel if the answer was no.

"Of course it was," Jeff relieved her. "I slept with Britta behind your back while we danced around. You think I'd have something _serious _like that behind your back too? How could I?"

Just as Annie saw what that implied, Jeff continued with, "Of course, it doesn't mean I couldn't do that. We both know I'm capable and that... damn it! There I go, talking myself out of something real again!"

"But it is real? To you?" Annie inquired.

"What does it matter? In the big picture, anyway," Jeff seemed to sabotage himself again. Yet when he didn't seem to regret it this time, Annie got fired up.

"It matters to me, Jeff. And not for the reasons you think," Annie frowned. "I let Cornwallis rub my feet to save _your _grades. You're right, what kind of crazy girl does that? Especially when our...thing is so one sided. As you let me know for _two years _before that!"

Annie didn't dare to let Jeff confirm or especially deny it. "Do you know what I thought about myself when I figured it out? What you've made me think all these years...the good and the really bad? If you're telling me, in _words_, that all this time it hasn't been..." She couldn't keep her eyes dry, but she at least held back some sobs.

"Before, I would have just kissed you and planned our wedding in my head. Now I know it shouldn't be enough...but part of me still thinks it is. What does that say about me? Or what you do to me?" Jeff couldn't answer, but Annie didn't want him to yet.

"It shouldn't be like that. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, in so many ways. In the others...you're the most _unhealthy_ thing that's ever happened. How does that make sense? Is _that _love?"

Annie briefly forgot that wasn't a good word to use with Jeff – yet he didn't even flinch. But the way she both hoped it meant something, and knew deep down that it shouldn't matter so much, proved her point.

"I've had to work so hard at not being a stupid little girl with you, and I keep failing. And I have no idea why. I know our...connection is deeper than that, but there it is. If I have to work that hard to care about you the right way...I don't know if that makes the rest worth it anymore. Or if it should. That's what you've done by not telling me things _a lot _sooner," Annie dropped the final bomb. "Do you understand?"

"Maybe," Jeff actually answered. "I'm killing myself just to barely get out of Greendale. If I have to work that hard to do it...what if it's not enough for other things?"

"But you _are_ passing," Annie reminded him, not caring about what else she might have implied – for the moment.

"I don't want to just barely pass. I've been doing that all my life. I finally want to ace something, and it's because of..." Jeff stopped himself once more. Annie expected that would be the end of it, yet he surprised her.

"Did you see how Troy and Britta were? Before we accidentally saved them?" Jeff asked. Annie merely nodded, so he continued with, "It looked like he was trying _and_ not trying to be a real boyfriend for her. If that makes sense."

"Yeah, I had a few lectures planned for him about that. Before the other stuff happened," Annie said.

"Of course you did," Jeff noted. "But you get it. In a way, he really put himself out there just to be with her. In another way, he really didn't look like he was trying in reality. At least from what I saw."

"You should have heard him kick her out of bed over chips. I wish I didn't. I wish I didn't hear a lot of things they did in there. Kind of," Annie got lost a bit before recovering. "But anyway, you're not that far off."

"He wasn't ready for that stuff. At least until our little crisis brought them back together. Like I can explain how that makes sense," Jeff quipped. "But that's not the issue. The thing is, that was his best effort at the time, and it wasn't _close_ to being enough. And _my _best effort..."

Now that Annie saw some of his point, she steeled herself before he expanded. "I can't do that to you. I can't do _anything _with you until I know I'm completely, utterly ready. Until I know I wouldn't sabotage it. Because anything with us _cannot _be like them before Christmas. I _can't _let that happen. I mean..."

His latest pause ended with, "The minute something happens, it'd be my first serious relationship for a long time. If ever. And...one way or another, it would be the _last_. At least for a long time. If ever."

Annie couldn't believe what she was hearing. None of her old fantasies had him using words like this, so she really wasn't prepared. It almost sounded like..._he_ was the one that was way more into _her_.

That just doesn't happen. Not when it comes to Annie Edison. She's not supposed to have people think of her that seriously and that...real. And not by Jeff Winger. It violates the natural order of who they are and how they work! That's all she'd ever known!

Right?

If not...what was she supposed to do about it? What _could_ she do? "I think I'm getting tired. I should go," Annie said in lue of answering.

She got up and muttered a few more things, but she didn't hear herself. Not when she was forcing herself not to look at Jeff before she left - or see any irony in her retreat.

Luckily by the time she saw it, she was in her bed and too sleepy to think it over. She didn't have the same luck when she woke up on Saturday morning.

Even Troy and Abed's morning Inspector Spacetime marathon didn't drown out her thoughts - or make her yell at them to turn it down. Now she really had to get herself straight before they scanned her for Blorgon infections.

The first thing Annie had to straighten was the poetic justice in leaving Jeff hanging this time. And the subsequent guilt she felt over that. He actually put himself out there for once, and she told him nothing but how unhealthy he was for her.

No matter if it was true or not.

This whole thing started because she let Cornwallis touch her feet, for _Jeff_. Because she felt so...irrationally for him, she compromised herself to save him. Because she just couldn't tell herself - or listen to him - that they weren't supposed to be anything deeper and make it stick. No matter how ashamed of herself she was when she knew better again. So why shouldn't he feel some of that this time?

Because he came back after running away just _once_?

Because he told her about his feelings _once?_

Because he gave up an early graduation for her? Once? And was fighting all his instincts to be lazy and not try, just for her? Once?

Because he talked about being serious with her, as if he wanted it?

Once?

Damn it. Sometimes being a thoughtless school girl with a crazy crush was easier.

But was it crazy if he really felt the same way - if not stronger - all along? Even if that made him a bigger jackass for letting her feel like she was nuts?

Yep, it was easier, all right.

Finally, Annie's train of thought crashed. Not from tears or Troy and Abed's Blorgon scanners, but by a beep on her phone.

A beep that signaled a text message from Jeff - which said "Your books are still here. Can't promise they'll stay well preserved in here."

Ah, right. She was so flustered she forgot to take her precious books home. Of course she did.

Well, she could just stay home and let Jeff give them back at Greendale on Monday. When they weren't by themselves. When nothing else needed to be brought up. It sounded like the perfect strategy.

If only for five minutes.

Before Annie could question why, she got herself to drive back to Jeff's. When she got to his door and knocked, Jeff opened and smirked, "It was the well preserved line that did it, right?"

The same old Jeff was back. Annie knew she had to get the books and leave now, before she knew how she felt about that. But Jeff wasn't moving and Annie was getting impatient - until she smelled something.

Jeff then stood back and let Annie walk in, as she went over to the kitchen. "Are you cooking something?" she asked, despite how clear the answer was.

"Just a little apology lunch. It should be done when our break starts," Jeff informed. He then brought her attention to the couch, where her school books and his were stacked next to each other.

"Technically, I owe you 10 more minutes from our first half, then a full 40 minute second half. Might as well make it up now, so we don't stay up all night next Friday. Not for studying, anyway," Jeff determined.

"What is..." Annie couldn't finish.

"Annie, normally I would lock myself in all weekend, give you your books on Monday without a word, and pretend nothing happened. Instead, I did this. Took a whole sleepless night to make myself do it, but here I am," Jeff recapped. "I had to trick you here and plan this without telling you, so it's just a baby step. But it feels like a start I can live with. If you can."

Maybe she could. She could certainly live with how her nerves were fading away. As Annie took it all in and realized that this was Jeff's way of being romantic - at least in a way he thought was tailored to Annie - she laughed for the first time in almost 24 hours.

"Show me what you remember about Robert E. Lee, then I'll be impressed," Annie said, light enough to assure Jeff she really was impressed. With that, Jeff sat down and finally let Annie finish the first half of last night's study session.

After the 10 minutes were up and a few new facts stuck into Jeff's brain, Annie gave him a proud, thankful smile that made them both feel light and breezy. This wasn't a new feeling for either of them when they smiled at each other.

It was new that they kissed this time afterwards.

It was also new in that it wasn't rushed, impulsive or even all that passionate. They just leaned forward at the same time and kissed for a brief two seconds. Then they did it again just as lesurily.

If anyone had broken in and seen it - or if the Dean wasn't too sleepy to peep through Jeff's keyhole today - they'd think Jeff and Annie were kissing like they'd been doing it for years.

After almost three years since their last kiss, and all they'd held back and been through afterwards, they should have been out of control. But instead, they kept kissing slowly, lazily and with absolute ease. Like it was no big deal because it was that easy and...natural.

But they could only keep from being out of control for so long.

Once their tongues got used to touching, Jeff started to hold Annie tighter, which inspired Annie to pull him closer. Soon, their bodies were heaving against each other and Annie was a move away from straddling his lap. From devouring him and taking him and being with him and having her dream ending and having true lo...

Wait.

"No!" Annie suddenly yelled, pushing herself away with all her will power.

"What? That move usually works," Jeff commented.

"Don't remind me, I can't be reminded!" Annie swore to herself, despite everything else telling her different. Which was the problem. "I can't do this..."

"What?" Jeff asked without a follow up.

"You said you'd only do that when you're ready. That was last night. Are you really _that _ready now?" Annie challenged. Jeff didn't answer, but that wasn't the real problem anyway. It just had to build Annie up to address the real problem.

"I can't get carried away because of you, Jeff. I'm trying to make you pass and get my grades back up. And deal with us having three more weeks in Greendale together," Annie recalled. "There's so much I have to do, and doing..._this_ now would make me forget all of it. I know it would. I'm still that same girl who plays house and forgets how to be a grown up...nothing's changed there."

"Annie..." Jeff could only start.

"I can't be that person again, Jeff. I'm tired of being the one who...feels more and goes crazy more. And I'm tired of feeling ashamed of myself when I come to my senses," Annie bit back a sob. "This is the worst time for me to do that again. I have to be better this time, for _once_. I can't risk going the other way. Not with you again."

But Annie still felt compelled to add, "Not now," before she could no longer look at Jeff. Even when she tried to stop her irrational impulses, she had to leave the door open for them. But since she still let them embarrass her after four years, especially with Jeff, it made sense.

Hell, she was probably more embarrassing now than ever anyway. He opened up to her, studied with her and kissed her, and she still rejected him. As proud as Annie should have been for resisting him for once, she knew it came with a cost. If that was what he got for being open and honest, why would he ever try that again now?

However, she saw something quite different when she finally looked at him.

She saw him look more devastated than she imagined he could be, at least in public. Still, it wasn't like he was explaining why, so she couldn't assume anything.

However, Jeff was only quiet because he didn't know what to apologize for first.

Like how sorry he was for making her feel this way, and not just today. How criminal it was that she thought her feelings were childish. How she only thought that because she never had the proper context; like him feeling more out of control about her than she felt about him.

If she only knew what she made him feel, there's no way she would look like the dumb child. If she knew she wasn't the only one who daydreamed of them being together - and was the only one who wasn't scared of how good it could be - she'd know she had nothing to be ashamed of.

Of course, she didn't know. Just like she didn't know how special she was before Cornwallis rubbed her up, thanks to Jeff keeping it secret. Clearly he still hadn't fixed that quite yet. But after everything, how could she still not see that things weren't what she thought they were?

Because he'd let her think they were that other way for three years. 12 weeks couldn't erase all that. If she only knew he'd spend 12 years making up for it, no matter how lame that sounded to him...

But that clearly wasn't what she wanted to hear. Not now, she said.

Not now.

"After finals," Jeff suddenly came up with. "We'll do this after finals."

"Huh? Which part?" Annie wondered.

"All of it," Jeff realized. "You're right, we've got to get me out of Greendale first. Anything else between us, we can put a pin in. But when finals are over, we'll take the pin off and do...whatever we need to make this work. Talking, dating, backing off...whatever you want, we'll do it then. If that's what you want."

Jeff wished he didn't sound so nervous with the last part. Yet his nerves still had nothing on Annie's, although they were starting to fade a little. "You..._want _to go into it?" she almost couldn't believe.

"Annie, there are a lot of things I want with you. Waiting...well, if I've waited this long, what's three more weeks? If that's how it turns out," Jeff stopped himself from assuming too much. "Hell, three weeks until we work things out? That's just enough time for even _me_ to be ready. Not that it'd be more important than studying, of course," he corrected again.

"Okay," Annie instantly agreed. Maybe it shouldn't have been that quick, or maybe...God, this was exhausting. To say nothing of how it made him feel. "I'm sorry I'm giving you all these mixed messages," she apologized.

"Annie, don't you ever apologize to _me _for _that,_" Jeff demanded. "I'll save the rest for later if you want. But here's something clear to warm us up." He gathered all his will power and revealed. "It's not just you. It's never just been you, and it never will be. I know it's two years too late, but that's how it _really _is. Okay?"

The actual words could have been clearer, but Jeff was new at this sort of thing. Yet the meaning was crystal clear to Annie. In fact, it overwhelmed her with how clear it was. She could only say a quiet "Okay," as a result - then kiss him again twice.

When Jeff returned the second kiss and they broke off, Annie knew they had to stop. But unlike the last time she stopped, she wasn't desperate to avoid being a schoolgirl again. It was awkward now, but not their usual kind of awkward.

Still, when she smelled something and remembered what it was, she was anxious to change the subject. "Apology lunch?" she reminded Jeff.

"Oh right, apology lunch," he remembered, then got up to finish making it. He looked a bit skittish - but not like he usually was when something got too real. For that matter, neither was Annie.

It got clearer to her as they spent their study break eating their lunch, and even talked in between bites. The old Jeff and Annie would never have talked after a big moment, let alone stayed in the same room. But here they were, feeling almost...relaxed after this one. It even continued when they resumed studying, as if nothing had changed or gone wrong.

Nothing had gone wrong. Something finally went right. And it made all the difference to Annie and how she felt - about them and herself.

They hadn't really resolved anything, but it was okay. She didn't feel carried away or embarrassed for seeing things that weren't there. Because now she knew they were there. She knew - truly knew for the first time in her life - that she wasn't alone.

All her life, Annie knew no one ever cared for her as much as she cared for them - not even the study group. She never knew anyone _could_ care about her that much, or even wanted to - especially Jeff. That's why she felt so humiliated, and questioned her very mental state, when she went too far over someone that could never go that far for her.

But someone was going that far for her now. He'd been going that far for months. Yet it never sunk in until this early afternoon. Now it had, and it should have made Annie get lost in dream land - but it didn't.

She didn't get lost in fantasy, because reality finally looked more promising. She had the strength to snap out of it with Jeff, but now she might have that _and_ Jeff too. They still had much to resolve, but it was fine because they would actually talk about it someday. And they could do things like study, talk, enjoy their company and not avoid each other, because she finally knew the rest would come later.

As hard as the next three weeks were, they were the most content weeks of Annie's life. They were the first she could remember where she didn't feel alone, deep down in her very core. Where she could give and give, and might actually get as much in return for once.

Being on the same level - being an equal - with someone made Annie feel...better. Truly better. Like no matter how brutal the next three weeks got - and they did get pretty bad - they could make it okay later.

Her optimism was legendary and easily mocked. But now Annie was starting to truly, 100 percent believe she'd turn out okay.

Yet as usual, that kind of blind faith was her first mistake.


	9. Chapter 9

A B.

No matter how often Annie rubbed her eyes, it looked the same. It was like she wasn't hallucinating when she saw the History 101 final grades on the wall.

If she wasn't, then she actually got a B. And according to math, it gave her nothing more than a B+ for her final grade. Like the one she got on her forensics final.

Which meant that on average, she hadn't been an A student this semester. In fact, she might barely be an A- student.

"Yes!" she heard behind her. How dare someone cheer now!

But when Annie turned to see Jeff cheering his passing grade, it made a twisted amount of sense.

There was the reason why this happened. She spent so much time trying to get Jeff a D+ or C-, she didn't have enough energy left to save her own grade. Not for her only two real classes, anyway.

Now she had taken a step back in her new major, and screwed up in the very class that wouldn't exist if not for her.

If not for her and _Jeff._

"Did you see it?" Jeff interrupted her. "I'm outta here after all, can you believe it?"

"Good, now go away!" Annie exploded.

In the next milli second, Annie could only run away. If she stuck around a second longer, she'd have kept blaming Jeff for everything. Everything that was actually his fault, and even the things that weren't.

By the time Annie ran to the lounge, sat on the couch and turned off her phone, she was a bit more rational. But no matter what, her old irrationality was back. If it even was irrational.

Without her amazing grades, no one would ever give her a real job. No one would ever let her become who she was supposed to be. What she sacrificed everything - including her soul, morals and mind more than once - to be. But as always, Annie paid the price because of Jeff's influence on her.

Annie could hear Cornwallis bragging and being vindicated after all. Maybe it would have been best never to expose him. Maybe she should have just let Jeff fail the first time. Maybe thinking she was meant for anything other than grades was what destroyed her.

So what was the point of these last four years at all? Hell, what was the point of even going to rehab? Maybe her mom was right after all...

"Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!" Annie yelled, coming to her senses. Unfortunately, she yelled it out loud and probably didn't look any saner. But no one said anything, so she was safe to lie down and cover her face without being bothered.

"Stop it," she muttered more quietly. " You _know _you're not worthless...so why are you thinking it?" She felt a tear on her hand, which gave her the answer. "I guess I haven't changed. Not for the _better_."

The only reason Annie didn't cry was because she was still in public. But it wasn't like she could move to cry somewhere else. She was too embarrassed over herself and her relapse - whether it was for legitimate reasons or not. Which it still might be.

How could she prove she was more than grades, when her grades were now too imperfect to give her the chance? There had to be a way around that paradox.

Maybe Professor George had a way. If Professor Cornwallis was willing to be flexible, why couldn't -

"Penny? Penny? Penny?"

Who would ask that three times? It sounded like -

Annie sat up to see Professor George himself in the lounge area- if that wasn't a piece of perfect timing. But before Annie could think of taking advantage, the professor went over to her - with a look of fear she'd never seen from him.

"Miss Edison. I don't suppose you've seen a five-year-old girl anywhere, have you?" the professor enunciated, with an uncharacteristic panic in his classical British voice.

"Um...not really, no," was all Annie had.

Professor George groaned and bent down to look under the chairs and coffee table. He knocked on the table three times and asked "Penny?" after each one, then stated, "If you're hiding, you can come out now."

"Why are you trying to find a girl?" Annie asked.

"It's not a girl, it's my niece!" the professor revealed. "My sister finally lets her spend the day with me, and I lose her. _Your _fellow classmates ranted at me about their grades, and then she vanished! If your group has done this, I'll keep them here for 20 years, I swear it!"

"Professor, please!" Annie tried to calm him down before he got too much like her. Somehow, it seemed to work.

"My apologies, Miss Edison. I know it wasn't your group, you all did well. Even Mr. Winger, to my pleasant surprise," he said, making Annie feel extra awkward. "None of them made me lose track of Penny. I know I shouldn't have, but I did."

The professor sighed and continued, "If I don't find her or my sister finds out, she'll never let me see her. Or listen to me to get help. All this really was for nothing..."

Professor George wasn't quite clear on everything. Yet he was all too clear on a few key things - like how a little girl with a bad mother was lost and alone in Greendale.

Nothing else was in Annie's mind after that. Not anymore.

"Where did you lose her?" she asked seriously. "Where were you when Walt and his friends cornered you?"

"In the middle of the quad," Professor George answered. "Hold on, I never told you it was that group."

"Easy to guess," Annie explained. "Let's go back to the beginning and guess the rest."

"I already looked all over that quad, she's not there," the professor insisted.

"Then let's narrow down where she might be now. Come on," Annie took charge and made Professor George follow her outside.

When they got to the spot where he said he lost Penny, Annie took in the scenery. If she was a five-year-old girl, what was there around here that'd make her run away? The hot dog cart and Leonard couldn't be it.

She then looked over at a nearby bush, just in time to see a squirrel coming out. "Professor! Does your niece like squirrels?" Annie asked.

"Yes. She loves that sub par Cold War spoof about the squirrel and the moose, why?" Professor George wondered.

Annie merely answered by leading him to the bush, then by peeking inside. She looked around and avoided the thorns, until she saw a tiny ripped piece of cloth stuck to one of them. She quickly took it off and showed the evidence to the professor.

"She must have been in there when I first looked for her," Professor George realized. "Penny, we're here now!"

"You said you lost her 20 minutes ago. She's long gone now," Annie interrupted. "If she was here and she caught the squirrel, what would make her leave?" Annie went around the bush and stopped behind it, once again trying to see what Penny could have seen from here.

As a kid, Annie saw enough children play outside while she was studying in her room. She knew they could be distracted by just about anything. When she turned to the northeast, she saw what could have distracted Penny.

"The fountain!" Annie pointed at. "The non legally binding one!"

She got up and went to Greendale's only wishing fountain that offered non legally binding wishes. There weren't many people there, as usual, and Penny wasn't there either.

As the professor looked around himself, Annie thought to herself. On the off chance even one person was here when Penny was, they might have her now or know where she is. But who would be dumb enough to wish on this fountain?

It was all too obvious.

"Quendra!" Annie called out. When Professor George noticed, Annie continued, "She comes here every day to make a wish! Or take some pennies! If she found out her name is Penny..."

Without needing to go on, she ran away from the fountain. "If Quendra thought a girl named Penny could grant wishes...even _she'd _be careful enough to hide," Annie kept talking. "But she wouldn't be careful enough to find a _good _hiding place."

This led Annie to check behind the nearest building and find exactly what she was looking for. She didn't expect to see Quendra giving the little girl a makeover too, but it wasn't _that _bad yet.

"Hey, I get a wish first!" Quendra said after seeing Annie. "I put a band aid on her knee, and I'm cleaning up the rest of her, so I get dibs!"

"I think someone else beat you to it," Annie set up as the professor finally caught up to her.

"Penny, thank God!" he sighed in relief, before seeing how she looked. "What have you done to her?"

"What? Is she an autumn? Is that it?" Quendra panicked. "Does that mean I failed the wish test?"

"Quendra, I put five new pennies in the fountain," Annie lied. "If you take them out and throw them back in, I'm sure one of them will grant your wish."

"Cool, what you said!" Quendra said and ran, leaving Professor George to clean up Penny's face.

Annie took her first good look at the little blonde girl, the rip in her dress, and the band-aid on her knee that Quendra talked about. "Let me make sure she did this right," Annie offered.

Annie bent down in front of Penny, figuring she should introduce herself first. "Hi, Penny, I'm Annie. I'm a student of your uncle's. Can I check your boo boo, please?" she asked nicely.

"Okay," Penny replied in a cute little British accent. Annie smiled as she gently took off Penny's band aid. The cut didn't look too bad, so Quendra appeared to have done this one thing right. She put it back on and made sure there were no cuts anywhere else.

"You're pretty," Penny said out of nowhere.

"Oh. Well, um, thank you, that's very sweet of you," Annie said, then got serious. "But no matter what Quendra might have told you, looks don't mean everything. Young ladies can use their brains too. Most of the time."

Now that Annie remembered what happened before the search, she felt less better about herself. Then again, she just tracked down the professor's niece. Maybe that was good for some late extra credit or...

...something else that was a new low, even for her.

Annie had been part of underhanded deals for grades once too often. Even if this would be far less creepy. Then again, using a missing child case to argue for a higher grade was creepy and wrong in its own right. Even thinking about it made Annie sick enough to come to her senses.

And that was before Penny tugged on Annie's hair. "Penny, that's very rude!" Professor George scolded.

"No, that's okay," Annie waved off as she thought clearly again. "I walked into that, really. Now I know better."

"Still, I'd say you're owed an apology. Among other things," the professor commented. "Penny?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Annie," Penny said on cue.

"That's okay," Annie said with a chuckle. "Just go to your uncle and stay with him this time, okay?"

Before she could, they all heard someone call out, "There he is!" When they saw where it came from, they saw a whole mob of students form and head for them.

"Oh, perfect! The students from my other classes saw their grades!" the professor lamented. "What it is with this school and -"

Before he could finish trashing Greendale, a bunch of its students came over and yelled about their poor grades. Annie held Penny close, as her uncle was cornered by people who weren't usually graded by real professors. If Annie hadn't learned a lesson about that before, this certainly did it.

"Please, I can't listen to this now!" the professor insisted. "I'm trying to spend time with my niece, and you people made me lose her once before!" This only made half the mob complain that they lost their summer because of him.

"They're not gonna just go away. That doesn't happen in Greendale," Annie informed Professor George.

"I'm becoming well aware of that. But I can't appease them and keep an eye on Penny," he cursed over the roar of the mob.

"Then just do the first part," Annie sprung into action. "Leave the other one to me. I'll meet you with Penny in my study room when you're done."

"I couldn't. I brought her here so _I _could have fun with her. Have fun in this wretched place for once," the professor groaned.

"Greendale ruins a lot of good plans. You've gotta improvise to survive here," Annie offered, letting the irony wash over her for just one second. "I won't lose her, I promise."

The professor tried to think over the noise, then finally yielded. "Penny, I swear I'll be done soon! Just mind Miss Annie until then, okay?"

When Penny nodded, Annie took her hand and led her away. She didn't stop until they were safely back inside, then she took her to the library to sit down. With classes over, no one would dare to be in here now.

Annie then looked over to the study room window and saw no one was in there either. In a way, she was relieved that she didn't have to face them, or Jeff, especially with a little girl. This was no time to think about that, though.

She turned to Penny and said, "I'm sorry your uncle's not with us. I know he really wanted to play with you."

"That's okay," Penny said. "My mummy doesn't have time to play either. She watches the telly and drinks her grown up bottles."

"She does?" Annie inquired, despite wondering if this was really her business.

"That's why Uncle Nigel said he came to America. So I could have someone else to play with," Penny revealed. "But Mummy yells a lot when he visits."

"Yells what?" Annie couldn't stop herself.

"She says it's grown up stuff," Penny replied. "Uncle Nigel tells her words like 'drinking problem' and 'work too much' all the time. Are those grown up words?"

"Well...they can be," Annie danced around. "How long have you heard those words for?"

"Since Uncle Nigel came here in New Year. He promised we'd play a lot in summer, after he did poopy work in spring." Annie couldn't help but chuckle, but contained herself as Penny finished. "I know I should play with him instead of the squirrel and makeup lady, but I got bored. I was bad just like Mummy says."

"Mummy's don't know what they're talking about sometimes," Annie jumped in. She sighed and added, "I'm so sorry you have no one to play with. But I promise we'll play whatever you want until your uncle gets here, okay?"

"Okay. What can we play here?" Penny wondered. Annie then remembered that very little in Greendale was suitable for children. The closest thing it had was...

Of course it was. "Penny, do you like puppets?"

Her answer was enthusiastic enough for Annie to justify breaking into the Dean's office. The Dean wasn't there, since Jeff's passing made him take seven personal days then and there. With that to distract him, he had no time to lock up his office - or the drawer where he kept his hand puppets of the study group.

After 'borrowing' them, Annie took Penny to the study room and had her sit on the couch in front of the window. She went to the back of the couch in front of them with the puppets - then had to come up with a puppet show.

The last thing anyone would call Annie was an improviser, despite two years of living with the kings of improv. But she already had all the material she needed to play these characters.

When she was ready, Annie raised her right hand up above the couch, so Penny could see the Jeff puppet covering it. Annie then put on her best Jeff voice and performed, "Hello! I'm Jeff Winger, I'm the coolest person who ever lived. Don't ask me to feel or care or do anything else lame people do. Now where's my phone and car?"

Annie heard Penny laugh, but that was obviously due more to her voice than her script. She decided to pander some more by having 'Jeff' notice Penny and say, "Hey, a cute little girl. Why does that make me feel something?" She then shook the Jeff puppet around like a Muppet and had him yell, "Ah, emotions, get away! Not cool, man! I need my uncaring fix!"

Annie then raised her left hand to show the Britta hand puppet covering it. She put on her best Britta voice and said, "Hi, I'm Britta Perry. I care too much about things to give you your fix. _Way _too much. You can try for a whole year, but I won't give in. I won't!" After a pause, 'Britta' said, "Oh, never mind, come in. But you can't tell _anyone_ for a year, and then you have to start feeling, got it?"

"You're just a Britta, you can't make me feel. Not on your own, anyway. Seriously, phone?" 'Jeff' said comically at the end.

"She's not alone," Annie said in her Abed voice, before lowering her hands and putting the Troy and Abed puppets on in place of Jeff and Britta. When she put her hands back up, she kept up her Abed impersonation and said, "We're all going to learn how to feel, just like Sesame Street. Or any Nicholas Sparks melodrama that can't get out of Ryan Gosling's shadow."

"Sesame Street!" Annie heard Penny cheer. She figured the Sparks reference and ode to Ryan would go over Penny's head - at least for the next eight years. But she pushed that aside when she heard Penny ask, "Is Elmo here?"

Annie stammered, but remembered to have the Troy and Abed puppets look at each other and stammer. Finally she had 'Troy' say, "Abed can be Elmo! He can be anything you want! Even when you're trying to sleep! You'd think 4 am isn't the time to be Snuffleupagus, but he thinks you're wrong! He always thinks you're wrong!"

Annie hoped that her venting and Troy screaming wouldn't wear out her throat. She would save that for her attempt to sound like Abed impersonating Elmo.

Somehow, she didn't hurt her eardrums as she squeaked, "Elmo love movies! Elmo even cute without red fur! Elmo richer than God thanks to viewers like you! Cool cool cool Elmo!"

"Yay! Be Big Bird!" Penny requested. To her credit, Annie only let puppet Abed play Big Bird, Oscar and Bert before she got back on track.

Fortunately, Annie played Shirley next and put on her best Shirley mommy voice to sooth Penny, and her vocal cords. When they were rested enough, she used the sassy Shirley voice and then got nasally and cranky enough to play Pierce. But there was no getting around that there was one other character left.

So Annie put the last puppet on her hand and began getting into character as herself.

"Annie!" Penny recognized as the Annie puppet came into view.

"Yes, I'm Annie," Annie voiced as herself. "I'm surprised you noticed me. No one does. No one wants to play with a hyper little girl like me."

"We would," Annie voiced as Jeff, before the Jeff puppet rose into Penny's view again.

"You would?" puppet Annie asked. "But you're too cool to play with me. All of you are."

"Look, I'm gonna remember I'm too cool to care again soon, so pay attention," puppet Jeff began his puppet Winger speech. "No one is too cool to play with anyone. Only people who aren't cool think that way. But there's always someone who'll think you're cool enough if you just find them. And as long as you never give up on yourself, they'll never give up on you. So...could you come here and make sure I don't give up on myself? No matter what else I say?"

"I will, Jeff. I mean, whatever your name is, new friend!" puppet Annie and real Annie corrected.

"Jeff sounds good," puppet Jeff said. "But you can call me Milord. If you please, Milady."

"Milady," Annie heard Penny repeat, which made both Annies go "Aww!" But puppet Annie focused and told puppet Jeff. "All right. Lead the way, Milord."

But then Annie had puppet Jeff groan, which made Penny gasp as he said, "Emotions wearing off...about to feel nothing again. Help me..." Yet she then put on her unfeeling Jeff voice and said, "Never mind, I don't care. Phone, car, grown up juice, now."

"Not while we're around, Milord. Not while we're around," puppet Annie said with as much determination as real Annie.

Annie wasn't a performer or writer at heart. As such, it was hard to maintain story continuity while acting out study group adventures. At least the ones that could be edited into a G rating and performed with just puppets. And since she could only perform with two puppets at a time, the action didn't always flow.

But Annie was playing to an easy audience, as she just had to do the voices, shake her hands around once in a while, and have her hands/puppets hug to keep Penny happy.

She got so carried away with it, she even had the puppets sing "That's An Adventure" - despite all the technical and vocal challenges of doing it alone. Still, it was nice to sing a song that wasn't creepy or too revealing for once. In fact, Annie was still in the mood to keep singing - in one voice this time.

In a rare impulsive move, she put the Annie puppet back on her right hand, raised it up and started improvising.

"I loved that balloon trip. I love going anywhere with my friends. They're the only people I've ever loved doing things with," puppet Annie confessed for real Annie.

"You know, Jeff was right. There's always someone or some group out there for you. Even if they don't look like it. Even if you don't think you're good enough. Or perfect enough," Annie let out. "You can be all alone for years, with no one to play with. But it just takes one person...or six...to show you it can't always be that way. There's always one place in the world where you're not so alone."

Annie used her free hand to get her eyes dry, while she made puppet Annie keep monologing. "I found that when no one else could see it, and anyone else can too. That's how I know, no matter how dark things are, there's somewhere where it's not so bad. Somewhere..."

And just like that, Annie broke into a soft, familiar song. She mentally gave credit to Troy and Abed, animated mice and Linda Ronstadt before starting her cover version.

_Somewhere...out there...beneath the pale moonlight._

_Someone's thinking of me and loving me tonight._

This was technically a duet in the movie, but Annie didn't bring another puppet into this. Not even Jeff. This felt stronger to her by herself.

_Somewhere out there someone's saying a prayer_

_That we'll find one another in that big somewhere out there_

So far she wasn't slipping into baby talk, or revealing ugly secrets. She was singing a real song as just her - while playing a puppet her, but still. The novelty of it, and the chance to sing _and_ be uplifting, made Annie pour her heart out further with her borrowed lyrics.

_And even though I know how very far apart we are_

_It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star._

_And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby_

_It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky_

_Somewhere out there if love can see us through_

_Then we'll be together somewhere out there_

_Out where dreams come true_

Annie couldn't see how Penny reacted, but she hoped it made her feel something. Hope, faith in having real family and friends - anything that would make her feel safe and happy. Enough that she wouldn't have to cling to those feelings as desperately as Annie had to.

It wasn't her full time job to give her that. But doing it for just a few minutes wouldn't be so bad.

_And even though I know how very far apart we are_

_It helps to think we might be wishing on the same bright star._

_And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby_

_It helps to think we're sleeping underneath the same big sky_

With the final lyrics, Annie belted the first set out as if she was Shirley - then brought it down for a softer, gentler finish.

_Somewhere...out there...if love can see us through!_

_Then we'll be together somewhere out there_

_Out where dreams...come...true..._

There was no point in topping that, and Annie didn't feel composed enough to try. So she got back on her feet, picked up all the puppets and went to Penny on the adjacent couch. She wasn't moving or clapping, which could have meant anything - hopefully. "Did you like it?" she asked her quietly.

"Uh huh," Penny answered, then noticed the Annie puppet in big Annie's arms. "Is Annie okay?" she asked.

"Huh? Yeah, of course she is," Annie answered, feeling touched all of a sudden.

"Good. I hope so," Penny replied, then patted the Annie puppet on the top of its head. This made Annie laugh instantly and nearly tear up.

"Your uncle should really be back soon," Annie recovered. "Do you want to play with the puppets for a while? Just you and me?"

"Sure!" Penny lit up, then reached right for the Jeff puppet. Annie beamed and let them all go, then played around with Penny and the puppets for the next several minutes.

"You're good with puppets," Penny said while making the Abed puppet dance. "Do you always play with them?"

"No, it's my first...well, second time. Third if you count stick puppets," Annie remembered. "I don't do this for a living. I actually want to be in forensics when I grow up."

"What's that?" Penny asked, to Annie's lack of surprise.

"It's how you figure out how bad things happen to people. And how to put who did them in grown up time out," Annie explained. "I want to do that forever, but I don't know if they'll let me now. It made me sad before I found you..."

Using forensics. That's what Annie would have said before she thought it. But now she couldn't stop thinking it.

All her teaching and training in forensics made it possible for her to find Penny. Like she would have done if she were a real policewoman. Something she knew she couldn't be without the grades.

But she found a lost little girl in Greendale. Right after she stopped being an A student. She wasn't even thinking about grades and how she wasn't perfect enough - she just did what she had to do for someone else.

She was a B+ student at the time, and she still did it.

She didn't need an A to do something she wanted to do for the rest of her life. Did she ever?

The fact Annie could even ask that without panicking made her so happy.

"What's wrong?" Penny asked as Annie looked ready to cry again.

"Nothing, nothing," she replied when she snapped out of it. "I'm just glad I'm the one who found you. That's all."

"Me too. You're fun," Penny said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

It shouldn't have been - not when it came to Annie. But it was. And that wasn't the only obvious thing she realized.

Annie wanted to be two things more than anything. She wanted a great career that would show off her talents, prove all the years of struggling were worth it, and prove she was a capable woman who could make a difference.

And then she wanted a family one day - or at least to care for people in a way almost no one ever cared for her. Whether it was as a mom when she was older, or a teacher or guidance councilor when she was much older, she wanted to do this at least once in her life.

But without grades, she couldn't get the career. Without the career, she could never be a good enough provider or role model. Without A's, none of it was supposed to happen. And yet all of it did today, after she slipped to a B.

Finding someone else's niece in Greendale, and entertaining her with puppets, didn't mean she'd be great at it for the next 60 years. But a less than perfect Annie Edison was never supposed to be great at it once. Yet she was great at all of it today - and it was everything Annie ever wanted for her life.

Of course she still needed A's to help make a career out of it someday. But she didn't _need _them.

What she had now - what she was now - could still be enough.

"I can do it," Annie muttered to herself. "I can still do it all..." She teared up yet again, but these were happy tears - maybe the happiest she'd ever had.

However, she stopped being so emotional when Professor George finally showed up. "Finally," he muttered, looking worse for the wearer until he saw Penny. "Hello, dear. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah! Look, puppets!" Penny yelled, holding up puppet Jeff and Troy.

"Are those..." the professor asked Annie. "Should I even ask?"

"I think you know the answer," Annie answered.

"I thought so. Well then, time to go home, Penny," Professor George said.

"But I wanna play puppets! Five more minutes, please?" Penny pouted.

"What did I say about the Poppins face? There is a time and a place," the professor warned. "And I believe we've kept Miss Edison long enough."

"No, it's okay," Annie smiled. "I can let her have a few more minutes. I mean, if you can." Since Penny didn't listen about the Poppins face, there was no way out of it. So the professor stood with Annie and watched Penny cram in some final moments with the puppets.

"I'm sorry they ruined your day with her," Annie quietly told Professor George. "But don't worry, she was an angel."

"I'm glad to hear that much," the professor responded. "I'm glad she got that from somewhere."

"So I heard," Annie said before she could take it back. It wasn't her business, although he and Penny made it easy to pry. Fortunately, Professor George didn't look too bothered - not by Annie.

"I knew my sister was a workaholic before she moved Penny here last year. And she didn't sound too free or sober whenever she called me," the professor filled in. "So when there was this chance to work here, where they were, I just took it. Before I knew how bad it was here and there. But I had to take the chance."

Then it came to Annie.

He had that chance because of her. Because of what she did. She kept herself steady for his sake, but inside, she was trembling.

She really had done something good by exposing Cornwallis. It made her touch Penny's life before they even met, because she unknowingly brought her uncle - a devoted uncle - closer to her. Surely he knew that by now too. If he did, he wasn't saying it now.

Yet he did say, "At least you saved me from a more troubling start. What can I do to repay you?"

There were a few things Annie could have asked or brought up. But only one seemed right.

"I have to stay here another year, for my new major," Annie set up. "But I'm gonna take History 102 in the fall too. I want to do better...but if I can't do it myself, can you help me? Like as a personal tutor?"

She exhaled at this historic request and explained, "I've never asked anyone to tutor _me _before. I never thought I needed it. But everyone needs help sometimes, I guess. Even if they think they're too proud or lazy to get it."

Annie only celebrated her personal growth for a second, before realizing, "I know you...heard some things. About me spending alone time with teachers. If that makes you nervous, I -"

"I heard a lot of things about you before I came here, Miss Edison," the professor made her nervous. "And I'm very happy that all of them were true. When we come back, my door will always be open to you."

"Oh. Well, thank you, sir," Annie was briefly overwhelmed. "But we can do that next semester. I think we should both forget about school for a while," she said without throwing up in her mouth, to her surprise.

"I couldn't agree more," Professor George replied, then focused back on Penny. "Penny? We have to go for real this time."

"Okay," Penny agreed sadly, but then lit up and asked, "Can I have a puppet? Please? I want Jeff, can I have Jeff?"

"You can't ask me that. He's not mine to give away," the professor passed the buck to Annie.

"Technically, he's not mine either. Not now," Annie started to say. But then she saw Penny holding up the Jeff puppet - which ironically made her feel like Jeff during a Disney face. "Well, the Dean's got to have 10 more of those. Even he won't miss _one. _Not if I talk him down enough."

"He won't?" Penny asked excitedly, then Annie kneeled down in front of her.

"No, he won't. But you've got to promise to take care of Jeff. He needs a lot of care and patience. But he can do anything if you help him believe it. He really can," Annie reflected.

"Okay!" Penny cheered and hugged puppet Jeff.

"Great. So, you're going to be a good young lady for him? And your uncle and mummy?" Annie wrapped up. Penny just nodded quickly to assure her.

"Very well, then. What do you say, Penny?" her uncle prodded.

"Thank you, Annie," Penny said properly - before giving her a quick kiss on the cheek and a hug.

"You are...so very welcome, Penny," Annie said properly. She was too overcome to do much else, yet she managed to hug her back for two seconds before she let go. "Have a good summer, okay?" Annie asked afterward.

"You too," Penny wished back. She then turned her attention to the Jeff puppet and poked its big forehead, while Professor George led her out of the study room. He remembered to give Annie a nod and a smile - the first one she'd ever seen from him - before he finally got away with his niece alone.

When they were gone, Annie went to her seat at the study table and exhaled. Even by Greendale standards, this whole day was unbelievable to her. Especially the part where she had never been prouder of herself in her life.

The last time she could be this proud, she was too busy getting clean and dealing with being disowned to enjoy it. So enjoying herself on a day where she got B's should have been impossible.

And yet for the first time deep down in her life...Annie felt like she'd truly accomplished something. That she had something to offer the world which went beyond A's.

Her friends had technically taught her that for four years - which made it depressing that strangers made it stick instead. Yet Annie finally had real evidence that grades wouldn't make her who she wanted to be. She didn't care who gave that to her.

What a day this was. She got clean from addiction all over again, and Jeff...

Jeff made Annie less proud of herself. At least her last words to him did. He passed and did everything she ever hoped for - and all she did was yell at him for it. She owed him such a big apology, if she could find him.

Annie finally turned her phone back on and saw it was filled with texts and missed calls. But she could browse through those later. First she had to hear Jeff live.

"Hello, Jeff?" she asked when she got through to him. "No, I'm in the study room." After a pause, she added, "No, I'm fine. I'm...really fine."

As she took in how much she meant that, Annie felt relaxed all over again. In the big picture, she owed so much of that to Jeff. So she owed him something much bigger than a mere apology or congratulations. But she could work that out later - and maybe get a head start in the back of her mind now.

Yet for now, Annie only told Jeff, "Not only that...it turns out you're pretty good with kids," as she laughed and shared the best parts of the day with him.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: The dress Annie has on in this chapter is the exact same red number she'll have on - or at least one Annie will - in tonight's finale; so it'll be used for the right effect and circumstances at least once.**

Jeff checked his phone and saw it was only 30 seconds until 7 pm. If Annie said she'd be here at 7, he really had only 20 seconds to get ready. He hoped he was as ready as he could be, considering the very unusual circumstances.

13 seconds later, he heard a knock on his apartment door. The same precision knock he'd heard every Friday night for the past 15 weeks. Yet this time, Annie wasn't here to stay in his apartment and study for an hour. At least not this time tonight. But that was getting way ahead of everything.

In any case, Jeff lost the capacity to think when he opened the door.

No thought, or anything else, besides Annie existed in that moment. Nothing could compare.

Someone else could try to let their hair all the way down like Annie did. Or pull off that tight red dress as well as she did. Or show off their bare shoulders and half their swelling chest as well as she did. Or show off their legs in red heels like she did. Or finish him off with a shy smile and a perfume/shampoo combination that smelled like the clearest summer night.

It still wouldn't make Jeff turn away from Annie for a second.

"You look..." Jeff finally trailed off. "You're..."

_Beautiful. Gorgeous. Sexy. Stunning. Lovely. Perfect. Like an angel_. When it got too sappy for Jeff's brain, he settled on, "All of it," out loud.

"Thanks. You too," Annie admired for a second. When she'd had her fill for the moment, she said, "Your ride's waiting."

That sadly made Jeff remember the unusual circumstances. "Annie, it doesn't have to be mine. I should be doing things for _you_ on this date."

"I told you, it's not a date," Annie said again. "I'm honoring you for everything you've done. Bask in the glory already, you're good at that."

For once, Jeff felt uncomfortable at it, but this wasn't his call. Even though this was the night before _his_ graduation. Yet that was Annie's big argument as well.

With finals over, it was time to work out what they really were. Going out the night before graduation obviously looked like they were dating. However, Annie wouldn't call it a date.

As she admitted, she didn't congratulate Jeff the way she should have right after he passed. Tonight would be her way to make up for that. As such, _she_ was treating _him_ to dinner at Morty's Steakhouse - the same dinner he'd planned for himself four years ago at this time. The big changes to that plan were that she was driving him there, paying for everything and eating with him.

The rest of the group would join Jeff at Morty's tomorrow, of course. However, this dinner was just for Jeff and Jeff alone, not Jeff and the other graduates. This was Annie rewarding Jeff for all the work he'd done in their study sessions. This was her giving him the victory lap he deserved.

And as such, Annie qualified this as something other than a date. At least for the time being. But that wasn't the point of tonight. Not intentionally.

Nevertheless, Annie knew that from the way Jeff was looking at her, she made the right call to drive. It made her get a little hot while she was driving, but she could handle that now.

When they arrived, Jeff beat her to the punch and opened the door for her first. Annie let him act like he was escorting her inside, but when they got in, Annie took charge and made sure their table was exactly where she wanted. After two days going over everything with Morty on the phone, it should have been all in order.

Fortunately, it was. Annie's risk in not coming down there herself had actually paid off.

After Jeff was set to graduate in January, he dropped his reservation and exact table for May 2013 - then forgot to reserve it again when everything changed. But after negotiating with Morty, and making sure the couple who originally had this table tonight got the next best seat, Annie got Jeff his special table again.

Of course, there were two seats there instead of one, so it wasn't exactly like his original vision. Yet once Annie sat across from Jeff, he didn't mind the vision that was there now.

"So here you are," Annie acknowledged once they settled in.

"It looks that way. Looks like a lot of things I didn't expect four years ago," Jeff admitted. "But they could look worse. Not that they should ever try. If it's even possible. I mean, I guess it was in high school, according to you, but I'll bet even then -"

"Jeff, you're rambling," Annie brought him back to Earth.

"Oh. Well, I sure didn't see that coming in 2009," Jeff tried to joke, then got the attention off his surprisingly subpar flirting. "What about you? You planned this whole...not a date, with _me_, and you're not rambling? Or even twitching?"

"There's nothing else I can do, Jeff," Annie calmly accepted. "I don't want to worry about how it could go wrong. Not on your night."

"I thought I was going to dinner with Annie Edison. Pod person, could you have her back by 10?" Jeff hoped he said the right way.

"I'm serious, Jeff. I need to get a head start on my relaxing summer. Might as well start now," Annie stated. "If I can do that here, the rest should be easy."

"A head start. On relaxing. All right, guess the pod people are off the hook, there you are," Jeff credited.

"Well, I've got to start somewhere, right?" Annie took in stride. In fact, it was Jeff who looked overcome first.

"Oh God. _You're _going to relax all summer, while _I _work finding a new job," Jeff realized. "The student has become the mistress."

Annie couldn't help but blush over that choice of words, so Jeff asked, "Never tell Pierce or the Dean I called myself that. Okay? They'll already have enough last minute jokes and come-ons tomorrow."

"You'll spend all day _pretending_ you won't miss those, and you know it," Annie said. "Maybe if you admit it to them early tomorrow, they'll lay off a little."

"Annie, I'm trying to change, not be Jesus right off the bat," Jeff commented. "Let's aim for some middle ground within reason." Just for that, Annie didn't say out loud that Jeff didn't deny he'd miss them.

She let them eat their appetizers in peace and comfortable quiet. But when it was time to order dinner, she made sure they knew exactly what Jeff wanted on his post-graduation streak. At her request, they practiced making it this morning to be sure, and it sounded like they got it right over the phone. This was different, but Annie continued to let herself trust them.

"So, have you been elected leader yet? Of the new post-Winger study group?" Jeff asked as they waited for dinner. "I know it's not a crowded field anymore. Unless Britta or Rachel start that third party crap, you should breeze into office."

"I don't think we're gonna have an office. Office days are over now," Annie said. "There's no way it'd be any better with you gone, so we're closing the office with some dignity. Why wait a year or two?"

"No leader, huh? I knew you'd go into anarchy without me. But let's let Britta think she was all alone a while longer," Jeff quipped. However, he seemed to reflect on something after that, which was extra rare after a Britta joke.

"That's gonna feel different in a few months. Ragging on Britta when no one I know can hear it. Not getting the chance to do it to her face. Not right away, anyway," Jeff reflected.

"You can still do that all the time. We all can," Annie reminded him.

"Not at Greendale. Not all together," Jeff reminded back. "I was supposed to dance on this table when that sunk in."

"Well, since you're not, I have another reason to honor you. Everyone here does, really," Annie tried to lighten Jeff up. It didn't work, so Annie dropped the jokes.

"Jeff, we'll be fine. You left the group and Greendale better than where you found them," Annie assured. "Trust me, it could have been a lot worse. It looked like it'd be _really_ bad before Christmas. But now we're in good shape again."

"Yeah. If I left in the state we were in at Christmas, it would have really brought down my legacy," Jeff conceded.

"Nah, we'd just pretend the last year never happened. It wouldn't ruin the first three," Annie said. "I mean, I'd pretend the first half of this year never happened, if I could."

"But then there wouldn't be the big ending," Jeff figured out. "Well, maybe you and Greendale will do better from start to finish without me next year. Or the year after that, when you're used to me being gone. Gotta go into the movie on a high note, right?"

"If that's still possible," Annie stated. "None of it will be the same without you, though. It's not a bad thing. Not as bad as it would have been months ago. But it still..." She then remembered this wasn't the time or place to finish that. "It's still something for another time. Not tonight," she said.

Annie then held up her empty water glass and proposed, "A practice toast before the wine gets here. To your Greendale journey. It's been four years of hell sometimes...but I wouldn't trade _any_ of it for the world. Not even for an easier ending."

"I wouldn't either," Jeff blurted out. He tried to hide it by clinking his glass extra loud with Annie's, but it wasn't enough. Still, he figured he'd 'accidentally' say worse things in front of the group tomorrow, so this was good practice. Especially with an audience of just one - or of just Annie.

Then at long last, Jeff was presented with the prized steak he'd been waiting for since 2009. He didn't even care that it was technically a day early - or care about the other things different from his four-year-old vision.

Like having Annie there to clap for him as he took his first bite. Or having her talk to him while he was trying to eat. Or her voice, smile, gestures and dress distracting him from enjoying the taste of Greendale freedom. Or that he was even joining in the conversation, like he would if this was a date. Or that he was more engaged in it than he ever was on his past real dates.

And then came the special surprise for dessert.

Annie had pulled a fast one and gotten the steakhouse to make him a small cake - with the fewest amount of carbs they could get. The words "Happy Graduation" were written in frosting, and a small toy briefcase and gavel were on there as well, along with four candles.

To top it off, Annie had resisted the urge to make the waiters sing him a happy graduation. It took everything she had, but she still rejected it. Still, she made Jeff light the candles and blow them out as a compromise. As if it wasn't compromising for Jeff to actually eat some of the cake.

Fortunately, Annie had a light dinner, so her and her sweet tooth made up for Jeff's lack of effort. At the least, she got a little buzzed on sugar before she could get too buzzed with wine, so it balanced her out. This put her in even higher spirits when the check came.

"Annie, for the last time, let me pay," Jeff pressed. "I wanted to pay _before _you did all this. Now what choice do I have?"

"Jeff, for the last time, it's not on you. This is a celebration _for_ you," Annie insisted. "And it's kind of one for me too. Since this is the last time I'm _ever_ paying for a guy."

"I will keep that in mind," Jeff promised, knowing what else that promised as well. He would have promised it three weeks ago, if they didn't put a pin on things. He hoped the promise was good enough now, even at the end of this...not a date.

But she offered to drive him home, which implied she might want to go into his apartment. That could possibly bode well. Unless it was too fast for her.

Regardless, Annie drove them back to Jeff's and then practically led him to his apartment. Jeff didn't mind following her, per se - though he narrowly spent more time trying not to check her out than actually checking her out. It was a photo finish in the end, though.

But Annie still went in, deciding they should have one last glass of alcohol. She'd been here enough times to know how Jeff liked his wine made by now, and followed directions accordingly. When she was done, she sat next to him on the couch and let him take his glass.

"You can drink it here. This isn't just a study couch anymore," Annie promised.

"It was a step up from a Chang couch, I'll give it that," Jeff credited.

"It's the couch where you learned how to graduate. Without lying, cheating, secret deals or jumping ahead six months. That's how I'll remember it," Annie shared. "Either way, it did it's job, and now..."

Now it all sunk in. She'd brought it up at dinner, but now she could really feel it. It wasn't the last gulp of wine that did it - it would have been easier if that was it. But it wasn't easy anymore now.

"Oh my God. It's all over," Annie whispered. "In 12 hours, it's all over. I know it's not _over,_ but...these last four years...it'll really never be like this again."

"That's not a bad thing. It's only 20 percent of a bad thing, at best," Jeff revealed, knowing just how big an estimate that was for him, and hoping she got it too.

"I know," Annie promised. "I sure as hell didn't know that three years ago," she remembered and chuckled through her emotions. "I can handle it now. I mean, it's only a year without seeing you at Greendale every day. But...I'm still gonna miss you. And after all we just..."

She took a breath to say the rest normally, but her voice still cracked as she restated, "I'm _really_ gonna miss you. I know that's stupid..."

"No," Jeff said point blank. "It's not gonna be the same. But we'll see each other as many days as we can, until it gets close. Maybe even after that." Before he could second guess himself, he made himself propose, "Maybe we'd throw in a few nights too."

"Maybe?" Annie focused on, out of necessity.

"Or maybe more than maybe," Jeff qualified. But there was one more perfect way to be clear. "I think I'm ready for that."

Annie remembered what that meant immediately. She just had to double check first before letting herself do anything. "Jeff, you mean _ready_ ready, right? Don't you dare say it if you mean something else."

"Sorry, this 'being clear with feelings' thing is still new," Jeff admitted. "How about...I want to start dating you now. That's good for a beginner, right?"

"It's good for anyone," Annie said breathlessly, although she caught her breath in a hurry.

"Is it good for you?" Jeff had to check. "I'm only going to be all in if you are." Now Annie had to give it some real thought.

"I don't know if I can go slow enough for you, Jeff," she admitted. "I can't promise I won't get carried away."

"I can't either," Jeff said, reminding her again that it wasn't just her.

"I don't know if I can have a real grown up relationship. Warts and all," she confessed. However, she made sure to add, "But there's a lot I don't know. I know that much now. There's a lot I could have learned a long time ago, if things were different. If I wasn't so scared to be different..."

Yet with Jeff, an uncle, a little girl and herself in mind, Annie vowed, "But I'm not that scared, rigid little girl anymore. It's time I made that stick. It's long past time for me...and for us too. I'm ready."

"Thank God," Jeff breathed a bigger sigh of relief than he wanted. "Just to warn you, I'll probably need you quite a bit early on. There's only so many rejections I can handle by myself."

"Well, don't get dependent on me. That can backfire a few times," Annie remembered. "You don't need me like that."

"No, but I want you," Jeff said for the first time. He knew that it wouldn't be the last, even before she lit up.

"What clinched it for you? For future reference," Annie asked, already ready to study and learn how to be the best. Even if there were no grades involved.

"I should say the dress, but I'd be lying. It didn't hurt, though," Jeff said, earning his first boyfriend points. He rewarded himself by putting a hand on Annie's waist, feeling the fabric of that sinful dress for the first time. And more important, feeling Annie's body intimately for the first time - at least the first time like this.

To his surprise - somewhat - he didn't glide his hand all over Annie's body. He kept it on her side and lightly stroked the curve of her waist with his palm. Jeff could almost feel the goosebumps growing underneath Annie's dress, yet he didn't want to go underneath it right away. He was just content to touch her and slowly savor the warmth and shape of her form.

But when Annie did the same by putting her hand on his chest, Jeff wanted to savor a lot more.

Like in their first makeout session on this couch, they first came together slowly. Their lips moved gently, since they both wanted to take in how they felt - especially since they were all done up tonight. Their tongues came together the same way once Jeff's hand went onto Annie's bare upper back. And as Annie melted into him, pulled him closer and pushed her bare upper chest against him, Jeff nearly shut down.

Somehow, he was still conscious when they broke apart and Annie nodded her head towards the bedroom. When Jeff got the message, he remembered another message he should have sent tonight.

"I, I...don't think that's where we should go," Jeff made himself say with whatever strength he had left. "That's where I take all my other...conquests on the first date. I don't want to be like that with you."

Annie was half flattered and half annoyed. As considerate as he was, this wasn't just his call - and she couldn't let him treat her like a pure, innocent, way too fragile caricature again. Yet she did have a way around that.

"For the last time, this isn't a date," Annie repeated. "You just told me you want to start dating _now._ That means, by your words, our trip to Morty's wasn't a date. So the 'three date' rule doesn't apply here." However, she added very seriously, "But it _will _apply when we date for real. So we'd better get this out of our system while we can."

Jeff's head was dizzy enough before hearing Annie's logic. But he stopped spinning enough to note, "That's kind of cheating, don't you think? Aren't you too much of a model student for that?"

"Normally. But I'm trying to learn to be more...I wish there was a word other than _flexible_," Annie said pointedly.

"That'll do, Edison, that'll do," Jeff said, fully won over at this point. He then got on his feet, took her by the arm and ordered, "Bedroom. Now," before marching right there with her.

When they got there and the adrenaline cooled down a little, Jeff remembered to make some preparations. He went to his drawer to make sure the light was right, that he had condoms, and that he set the alarm on his phone to wake them up early tomorrow. But since he'd never set an alarm to wake up _early_ before, it took him a while to get it.

While his back was turned, Annie's adrenaline was giving way to nerves. Although at least some part of her wanted this for four years, it felt different when it was moments away.

What if all the buildup wasn't worth it? What if she wasn't...talented enough to keep up with Jeff here? What if she wasn't adult enough to use her sexuality like a grown up? She hadn't been before.

But she then looked at the ultimate sex grown up, as he struggled with setting his phone alarm. However, his breathing was too heavy and his hands were too shaky for a task like that. Maybe setting the alarm wasn't the only thing that worried him.

Ironically, it wasn't making Annie afraid anymore.

Deep down, she knew she had nothing to worry about anymore, yet it didn't mean she wasn't nervous. But now she saw that Jeff was feeling the same way. Of course, he was probably ashamed of that and wanted to look cool - but he didn't have to with her.

With that fueling her, Annie walked up to Jeff and put her hand on his forearm, while putting on her most reassuring, understanding smile.

He deserved to know that no matter what he felt, it was okay. He didn't trust the world to see these feelings, but he could always trust her. She would never mock him or think less of him, or see him as anything but the worthy man he really was. Just like he wouldn't think any less of her for the same thing - anymore.

But that was then. Now Jeff saw past the things that made Annie crazy, or embarrassed about herself. There was no way in hell she wouldn't do the same for him. He never had to feel different or alone for the way he felt - not with her around.

Somehow, she conveyed all this in one gentle forearm rub and one extended smile. It finally made Jeff smile back, reassured and ready. If Annie wasn't ready before, that wonderful, special smile he always gave her did the job. And it did something else to her as well.

"Could you keep smiling like that? Just for a bit?" Annie asked. Jeff was likely confused, but his expression didn't change.

When she was assured it wouldn't, Annie focused on the crinkles at the corner of his eyes - the ones that always showed up during their stolen glances and smiles. They'd haunted her for years, but now she could finally touch them - and stand on her tip toes to kiss them.

Jeff found the restraint not to flinch, or groan and break his smile. He bent down a little to make it easier on Annie, which made her stand flat on her heels. She kept kissing the sides of his eyes and crinkles - _her _crinkles - and didn't want to stop there.

Annie moved up to kiss his forehead, knowing there was a lot of it to kiss. Yet she cupped his face and kissed as much of it as she could for the next several moments. She then moved back down to kiss his pointy nose, before going lower to kiss his big chin. She went back and forth between his nose and chin until she went back to his forehead again.

Jeff's most valued asset was his face. For most of his life, it was the only thing he put an effort into caring for. It was designed to be worshipped and adored by all women - and yet this was the first time he really felt like his face was...treasured.

It was the way she kissed all the gorgeous parts of it, but spent just as much time on the other parts. The ones the group and even Annie had joked about for such a long time. Yet perfect or not, she was attentive to every part of his face - giving it a kind of worship, attention and love he wasn't familiar with.

And the gentle but obvious passion he felt from her was new to him too. In fact, he would have mocked this if he was watching it on Abed's romance movies night, and wasn't fast asleep. But here, with Annie, he was awake with an unprecedented need to...return the favor.

He should have felt like a pansy when he made Annie stop kissing him, then only kissed her cheek in response. But the minute he finally felt her cheek on his lips and nose, he brushed aside his male pride. At least here, where no one other than Annie could see it - hopefully, for the Dean's sake.

As it turned out, Jeff's need to kiss every part of a beautiful face was as strong as Annie's. He practically nuzzled her cheek, as it felt too much like satin and velvet to do anything else. He did the same to her forehead, then to the top of her head before he made himself stop breathing her hair in. Since he had been rubbing her bare shoulders and collar bone the whole way through, he needed to fit in more with them.

When his lips got below her neck, Jeff really let himself taste and devour Annie's skin for the first time. The creamy texture, and having so much of it available to him, nearly made Jeff snap then and there.

Yet he composed himself to be gentle and passionate, like she had been. And in spite of all the enticing cleavage right below him, Jeff made himself stick to her shoulders and upper chest first, so they could get the credit they deserved too.

However, Annie was getting less and less interested in going slow. As Jeff worked his magic below her neck, Annie got to work below his neck as well. She tried to unbutton his suit and get under his shirt as best she could, while keeping her knees from buckling.

But she was just focused enough to get her hands onto his bare chest. When she glided over his abs and even went down to his belt, it made Jeff stop before he reached the bare parts of her chest as well.

"Okay, that's long enough," Jeff muttered onto Annie's chest, then stepped back and finished removing his suit and shirt. When he was bare chested and Annie had her fill of just looking at it, she reached her hand back to lower the zipper on her dress.

"Wait!" Jeff stopped her, then took his phone from his dresser. "I need some proof you were in that dress. This is as perfect a chance as any."

Annie rolled her eyes a little, but she was glad for the little break before the big moment ahead. She steadied herself and smiled, then when Jeff took the picture, he stated, "Okay, as you were."

Annie didn't bring her phone, so Jeff couldn't do a half-nude photo shoot for her - sadly. Now there was nothing between her and being fully naked in front of him. Except her actual clothes, of course.

With a deep breath and an effort to block out her other naked experiences, Annie lowered her zipper and slid her dress down. She stepped out of those blasted heels and was at her normal height again - albeit in the less normal position of being in her bra and panties in front of a man. Nevertheless, they had to go too.

When they were, Annie couldn't make eye contact with Jeff - at least until she heard him breathe out, "Fuc..."

He couldn't even finish cursing, so that had to bode well. Once she made herself see him, she noticed his hand was reaching for his phone again, and coughed loudly before he finished that bright idea.

"Right, right, forgot, sorry," Jeff barely made himself composed again. However, when he saw how shamefully shy Annie still was under his gaze, he decided to take her mind off it. He gave her a legitimate reason to be flustered, once he removed his pants and got just as naked as she did.

This wasn't Annie's first glimpse at everything Jeff had, but it was her first clear look at the front of his lower body. It was very happy to be seen by her, and soon Annie was getting happy to see it as well.

She walked closer to him and reached towards his...tool, but Jeff stopped her by pulling her closer and hugging her. He needed a bit more time before he could stand being touched like that by her. Yet since his excitement was now pressed right against her bare body, he saw the flaw in his plan.

But the other bare front parts of him were pressed against her bare body as well. Perhaps he'd been too hard on this plan.

Jeff held naked women against him many times before. Yet that was while they were in bed and doing the act, when he had no choice. Just standing and holding Annie's naked body against his own was another new thing for him. But as his hands moved up and down her back, he decided he could live with it.

Maybe in more ways than one someday, if all went well.

But the future was scary enough - somewhat - that there was no need to think about it now. Not with a present like this. Not with this naked woman in his arms, and with so much to finally hold and rub at long last.

Jeff took his time running his hands all over Annie's body, in relatively new ways for him. He slid them down to her severely underestimated backside, then to the top of her perfectly rated legs, before sliding them up her back with a tenderness he didn't know he had.

For her part, Annie buried her face in Jeff's chest so he couldn't see her blush. He could certainly feel her moan, however, especially when her hands got into the act. They went down to his not overrated enough ass, then quickly got a grip on his broad shoulders. She kissed his pecs and pushed her bare chest deeper against his, then felt him kiss the top of her head and keep his head there.

As they caressed every curve of their partner's upper bodies, their pelvis's started grinding together as well. Once their genitals got closer together, Jeff groaned, "Okay, that's _really_ enough of that," and broke from her - only to lay her right down on his bed.

Jeff didn't join her, as he stood over her and studied her body once more. He took a deep breath and said, "You really are the best, Annie," with a number of implications, which made Annie blush all over for a number of reasons.

He took another breath and added, "Don't worry, I'll be more thorough the second time. I'll take my time, get to every single part of you, and do...a lot more than screw you. More than I would for any other woman." Annie could barely let that sink in before he finished, "But this time...I've had all I can take of being a gentleman."

And for a lot longer than he expected that first time, he proved it to her.


	11. Chapter 11

They had to be in one of Abed's other timelines. They just had to be. Abed never talked about happy timelines, so for all Annie knew, this would fit the description.

How her and Jeff got to another timeline before – or during – the sex, she didn't know. But they had to be there now. The thought that she was lying naked in Jeff's bed, with Jeff, the morning after they had sex in the _real _timeline, still seemed too outlandish.

Was it more outlandish than Abed's dark timeline – and his disturbing Annie and one-armed Jeff theories? Given their history, it did seem more plausible than this….ultra-happy timeline now. Especially when she felt Jeff's thumb brush her stomach.

Annie shut her eyes tighter, savoring the feeling and trying to come to terms that it was happening.

This….just did not happen to her. Years and years of misery, setbacks and harsh reality kept telling her that, no matter how much she blocked it out. It made it more ironic that she couldn't do it now.

Maybe she never really expected _this _would be her ending with Jeff in May 2013. Maybe deep down, she was convinced they'd never be allowed to resolve anything. Maybe they'd still be up in the air after four years, or pretend that that never needed to change.

For three years, those seemed like more plausible endings than this. That's why this had to be a different timeline that made less sense.

But the more Annie waited to wake up and face the ugly truth, the more it didn't come. She just kept lying in bed with her eyes closed, as Jeff did the same and kept rubbing his thumb on her tummy.

Unknown to her, that was the only thing keeping him from getting up and letting the old, cowardly Jeff win one last time. It was the only thing subduing his impulse to destroy his happiness – at least happiness he was supposed to be too cool to want. At least by his old standards of cool.

It was why he left his last dream girl. It was why he lied his way into law to begin with. It was why the Annie-free summer of 2010 happened. It was why he couldn't go more than one full week without being a selfish jackass, even after four years of actually trying not to be. And it was making its last stand here.

But it was harder when he realized his graduation was the last thing on his mind today. And before he realized he was rubbing Annie's stomach, without _any_ thought of going lower.

Yeah, real Jeff would be waking up to real life any minute now. But maybe touching Annie more before the end wouldn't be so bad.

Yet even in his sleepy, self-destructive paranoia, Jeff didn't think to touch her private parts one more time while he could. The mere touch and feel of Annie's smooth, regular skin was _still _satisfying him. Just as it satisfied Annie while she waited for the other shoe to fall on her again.

If it was, Annie wanted to fit one more thing in. She had to lie her head on his chest and sleep on it just once. And maybe get greedy and kiss it a few times.

When she did that, Jeff took his right arm from between them, wrapped it around her and let his hand go up to her hair. If they weren't in pure fantasy land now, this put them there.

And yet the more they felt their skin against each other, the more they didn't want to leave fantasy land. If possible, that feeling was more intense than last night – both when they screwed and made love.

They both just wanted to caress each other once more before harsh reality returned – as it always did for them. Yet the more they fit in before that happened, the more they realized it wasn't enough.

But that wasn't possible, right? Building on one magical night couldn't be the payoff to _these _four years, right?

Jeff knew there was no world or timeline where he could leave Greendale with…._this_, right?

And Annie knew she couldn't be allowed to have this _and _be grown up…..right?

They'd have to go back to a world where these things couldn't happen. That was where they really belonged. That was where they had to stay.

Annie almost thought she was giving Jeff a good bye kiss on his chest before snapping out of it; just as Jeff thought while he kissed the top of her head at the same time.

Then when they couldn't tear their lips away, they thought that a world/timeline where they could keep doing this was just…._better_.

This was one beyond belief ending they didn't want to end yet.

"Screw it, I'm not waking up," they both said, which made them actually open their eyes and see each other.

Both of them were too awkward to address what they said – so maybe some traces of the real world were still there. Yet as they opened their eyes wider and looked at each other, they felt more awake. As such, their sleepy thoughts and paranoia were fading.

Now that they were fully awake, conscious and clear headed, they could accept that this was really reality. And the more they looked at each other, the more they didn't care if it wasn't.

Jeff was about to celebrate by saying "Good morning" to a woman in bed for the first time. But Annie suddenly jumped up with a more vocal greeting.

"Oh God! I need to go home and change!" Annie remembered. "But Troy and Abed are still home! How am I gonna change without…..and what if they don't keep quiet?! We can't let the group bug us _today! _Tomorrow, _maybe!"_

"Morning to you, too," Jeff finally fit in. But this rare gesture was overshadowed by Annie's more typical panic. Yet it was almost….reassuring, in a way.

Since Annie was still pretty worried about what others might think, it made this new world look like reality. And when Jeff had to take Annie home, get Troy and Abed out of the apartment while she snuck in, and then pretended to just get out of her own bed when they got back, it _really _felt like reality. A Greendale reality, anyway.

This was still a place where stupid, crazy things like that happened. It was still Jeff's real world, graduation or sex or not.

A real world where he did sleep with Annie, make it romantic, promise her he wanted more and….kind of wanted to keep that promise.

If he could do that in reality after all, what else could he do?

On the very _very _illogical chance Abed was right after all, maybe most of their timelines had nothing good for Jeff and Annie together. Maybe everywhere else, they'd burn out or never start, exactly as Jeff always imagined here. Maybe they couldn't work – for one reason or another – anywhere but here.

Here, where he was about to leave Greendale – and where Annie swallowed her various fears and emotions to hug him before the ceremony started.

Maybe Jeff could try to keep this fantasy timeline going after all.

But he'd still draw the line at fake beards.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXX

It was so weird in the end for Annie.

She should have been a happy or sad wreck at the sight of Jeff getting his diploma. She cheered loud enough to split Pierce's ears, of course, but there was no anxiety either way.

Her time at Greendale with Jeff was one of the most important times of her life. Three years ago, the thought of losing anyone made her lose her mind. And after last night, the thought of never sharing a class with him again should have killed her.

Yet for all that Jeff meant to her in this school, she was still stable at the end.

Maybe it was because this was a normal graduation day, against all odds. Maybe it was because their special night actually stayed a secret today – which was Troy and Abed's graduation present for Jeff, as they explained the next day.

Perhaps the last four years took so much out of her, she had nothing left for the final day. Or she wanted to rest up before their post-Greendale relationship really began. Nevertheless, Annie felt herself going through the motions after the ceremony – something she never would have done if this happened a year ago.

She excused herself to talk a walk alone, as Jeff was too distracted by his fellow graduates – and on alert for one last Dean Pelton crying attack – to follow her. As she walked around campus as a Greendale student with a half-full study group for the first time, her legs mindlessly led her to the History 101 classroom.

The door was naturally unlocked, so Annie went inside before she knew why. She looked around at the empty classroom, until her eyes stopped on the teacher's desk. And the teacher's chair.

The same chair she sat in when Cornwallis worked on her foot. She didn't want to imagine what sitting there afterwards made him feel. She wasn't even tempted until right now.

It was easy to move past what happened in here during class, with a new professor. But now that she was all alone with her thoughts, the memories returned one last time. They even made Annie sit down in that chair for the first time since that degrading day.

A day which now had closure.

All the consequences of what happened had now been played out. This chapter of Annie's life was really over too. It ended with the best possible outcome – but that outcome never would have happened without that one big mistake.

For the second time in her life, Annie had to feel degraded and humiliated before finding the greatest happiness of her life. Like she could have found happiness _without _staining herself first.

It didn't have to be that way.

Despite what happened between her and Cornwallis, and all that happened after, Annie never cried about it. Not with a full-fledged cry. Yet now that it was over, she was ready to let it out.

But she wasn't just starting to cry about that.

She cried for the end of her full Greendale study group. She cried for never walking down the halls with Jeff again. She cried for never getting to help him study again. She cried over the fear of what her first real adult relationship could still bring.

She cried for how it only started because she was a Jeff obsessed, grade obsessed idiot and a coward. She cried for not stopping Cornwallis and not exposing him so much earlier. She cried for all the other things she could have done and learned so much earlier.

She cried over all the school girl freak outs, the awkward confrontations, the grade paranoia, the lack of true self-worth, and the arrested development she was just now breaking free from - _four_ years after rehab. She cried for what she should have done, should have become and what she almost wasn't.

But she was now. At least she might be now.

After all that, look where she was now. Look what she was planning to do and become. She wished so much that she did it under better circumstances – but she _had _done it. Or at least she would do it and make it stick.

She could have remained stuck in limbo right now, between her old unevolved self and the self that was just out of reach. She could have stayed stuck in limbo with Jeff right now, reduced to acting like she was 19 all over again. That could have been the final, lasting memory of Annie Edison at the end of these four years, and it probably should have been.

It wasn't. She had to hit rock bottom at least twice first, but it wasn't. Now that Annie saw that, she was laughing as well as crying.

Incredibly, Annie had one more year in Greendale to make it all pay off. She would truly rest and recharge herself this summer, lick her wounds, and then come back ready for redemption. She would get back on top the right way, ask for help when she needed it, help keep the rest of the group together, and have some real stories to tell Jeff after work. And she'd put herself on the doorstep of a real future in forensics, when she could.

There were so many ways it could all still go wrong. But Annie had imagined things going wrong all her life, if she didn't do things a certain way. Even now, all the worst memories of who she was, and visions of what she could be if she messed up, weren't going away.

She just chose, here and now, to stop letting it define her.

It was time to be the best, and not in the ways she imagined all her life. More in the way of how Jeff put it last night – only with more clothes on. No more false starts or regressing – not like before.

Now Annie was finally laughing more than crying, which allowed her to wipe her eyes. It came just in time, as Jeff opened the door a second later.

"I probably don't have time to ask," Jeff commented. "Come on, Abed wants us to sit outside the library. We give him his 'come full circle' moment, they might let us eat at Morty's again before dinner time."

"I'm having that moment already, Jeff," Annie told him. "Go on, I'll catch up. Tell them you didn't find me yet. We only need to lie to them until lunch tomorrow anyway."

"Doing something I don't understand, because you said so. I'm getting the hang of this boyfriend stuff already," Jeff said, unfazed by certain words for the moment. "Don't dawdle, Milady. I can only do frozen Breakfast Club poses for so long."

Jeff made himself leave, yet Annie couldn't help but stay in place. As if she was stuck in limbo one last time – with the past still surrounding her in this room, and the future waiting outside of it.

All she had to do was get up, head into the brave unknown and do what she was capable of doing long ago. Of course, every time Annie looked ready for that, she'd taken a step back before she knew what she was doing. It was the story of her life for almost four years.

No one would have been surprised if those years ended the same way – not even Annie. They all should have lost hope for something better long ago.

But at least here and now – if only here and now – it wouldn't end that way. At least here and now, she had one last chance. A chance to remain the Annie Edison that made 90 percent of these last four years so wonderful, instead of letting the horrible 10 percent define her anymore.

This time, Annie knew better.

This time, she wasn't leaving herself in limbo, in any way.

This time, she got up and went forward.

And one by one, the fears and excuses for ever looking back all just faded away.

**THE END**


End file.
